Catch them young: Our in-school programme
February 27, 2018
The Launch of the Culture ACTIONs Creative Art Clubs at Shingirirai High School and Cranham Secondary School on the 19th and 20th of February 2018 respectively was warmly received by the school administration, Ministry of Primary and Secondary School District Officials and the students at large. The thematic display of creative African art expressed in theatre; song and dance was the highlight of the launches as ZISAF expressed the main themes of the Culture ACTIONS program in their drama Tose Sonke Together. The launch functioned as a tool to inform the students of the program underlining the program’s goals, objectives and its commitment to challenge retrogressive social norms of GBV, child marriage and the mainstreaming of climate change through the transformative power of creative art. The establishment of the creative art clubs in schools will play a major role in the dissemination of GBV, Climate Change and Child Marriages information through professional training of students in thematic creative art performances by Zimbabwe international School’s Arts Festival (ZISAF) which committed to provide the much needed expertise in creative art and assured the gathered that the program will empower girls and boys with lifelong creative skills
The launch was applauded by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary School Education which was represented by District Schools Inspector Mutenha who commended the program for equipping students with creative art skills which can be a viable economic livelihood activity which was in line with government efforts in the new education curriculum. The DSI Mutenha underscored the importance of recreational learning activities which can be useful stress reliever for students which can aid the school’s academic performance.
.The School’s Administration represented by the Schools Head masters expressed their willingness to participate in the program.. The school authorities highlighted the immense benefits the schools are set to reap in reduction of school dropouts, teenage pregnancies and child marriages with the development art literate students who fully understand their sexual reproductive health rights.
Councilor Mazikana welcomed the creative art clubs to Cranham Secondary School ward 31 and reassured her support to see the successful implementation of the program as the programs objectives and goals to deal with retrogressive social norms stroke a chord with the problems that have been ravaging her ward and the district at large. The students were encouraged to be the program’s advocacy champions in their homes harnessing creative art skills to preach the message of shunning child marriages, GBV and mainstreaming the climate change developments
Creative Art expressed through thematic display surely highlighted the power of art as an influential advocacy tool of information dissemination as the theatrical piece provide by ZISAF Tose Sonke Together play easily brought out the major themes of the program through the powerful art display which captivated the audience and inspired the students to join the creative art clubs . The overwhelming support the program received in the schools resulted in the higher uptake of students who want to join the creative art clubs hence resonating with the need for more resources to be forecasted for the creative art clubs in Mazowe.
