This is a national arts and culture festival to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development proclaimed by UNESCO as 21st May. Zimbabwe celebrates this over a week. NACZ encourage communities and stakeholders alike to hold events that celebrate their culture. The national official Culture Week launch is a national event coordinated by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) Head Office and implemented by the hosting province in which this year it is Mashonaland Central. The launch marks the beginning of the celebration of the importance of cultural diversity throughout the country through various cultural and artistic expressions. Some of the activities done at the official launch include street marching by artists and cultural activists, fashion show, music and dance performances, art and craft exhibition and herbal medicine exhibitions.
The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity by UNESCO in 2001 proclaimed 21 May of each year the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. Cultural diversity is a defining characteristic of humanity that when cultivated and respected can create a well-developed nation. It nurtures diverse human capacities and values and in the process promotes national growth that fosters unity and identity.
In commemorating this day, countries are encouraged to celebrate the uniqueness of diverse cultures found in them as part of world culture. In addition, this day is intended to provide an opportunity for the flaunting of various cultural heritages that need to be preserved for posterity.
Cognisant of the phenomenal growth in popularity this World Day has enjoyed hitherto, NACZ decided to make this occasion a weeklong event hence the existence of the Culture Week every year. Therefore NACZ inaugurated Culture Week in 2002 after it discovered that one day was too short a period to leave an impact in people. In addition, artists found the one day not adequate to allow them to celebrate and display their works to the public.
The objectives of Culture Week are
- To bring together diverse arts and cultural activities of the sub-region and other parts of the world for public consumption
- To provide an opportunity for the people in Zimbabwe to appreciate the diversity of the arts and cultures of the world
- To bring about national, regional and international social integration through the arts and culture
- To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and views between artists and other cultural workers within the sub-region, African continent and the world
- To encourage young people to celebrate World Culture and Africa Days
- To allow members of the public to appreciate the employment generation capacity of the arts and culture industry
CULTURE WEEK PROVINCIAL LAUNCHES SCHEDULE
Province
Date
District
Venue
Bulawayo
22
Inyathi Youth Centre
Mpopoma
Masvingo
23
Great Zimbabwe Monuments
Midlands
23
Mataga Growth Point
Mberengwa
Harare
24
Harare Gardens
Manicaland
26
Mount Gombe, Buhera
Mashonaland West
26
Nyimo Business Centre, Sanyati
Matabeleland North
26 Nkayi High School,
Nkayi
Mashonaland East
26
Chogugudza Primary School, Goromonzi
Murewa Culture Centre
26 Murewa
Culture Centre
Matabeleland South
23(June) Zezani
Culture Centre Beitbridge