Sabela Education
Education is at the core of our major work. Artists like Butshilo, Siyaya, Umdumo Wesizwe, Tongesayi, just to name a few have led workshops in schools, colleges, universities, festivals and community centres. At the moment, we are developing a broad Sabela Education carriculumn which we hope to introduce to the industry soon. Our 1st major step towards that is the “Sabela Summer School” to be launched at the Ibumba International Festival in December 2009 in Zimbabwe.
“Sabela Summer School” is an educational initiative led by Butshilo Nleya as a pilot and research project focussing on equipping young people between 15-20 years old with creative thinking skills, performing arts skills and business ethics and methodologies. The school is part of Sabela Education which focusses on the educational input and outputs of Sabela Music Projects. The pilot will run during the IBumba International Festival 2009 at the Little theatre, Makokoba. The location of the school gives it the local grounding it needs.
It is a school for young serious minds who are keen on developing within the arts as edgy young men and women who will focus on a specific aspects of the performing arts industry and excel to a world class standard through talent, skills, education, appropriate attitude and opportunities being created by Sabela Music Projects and other promotion and development agents.
Young people will be drawn from existing new dance and theatre companies, inner city and boarding schools. It is open to any young people who may not be actively in employment or in training but fulfil the criteria. The criteria is that they have to 15-20 years old, have some competency in either dance, music, administration, drama or technical arts aspects. There are 18 places of which 9 will be offered as paid places. The other 9 will be fully sponsored by the Sabela Foundation. Paying students will be carefully selected on submission of a resume/ CV and a 1000 word write up on why they should be on the course. Scholarships will be available upon nomination or audition. Induction and audition will be held on 5th December 2009 at Stanley Square, Makokoba.
Days will run from 9am till 1pm. This will enable students to attend performances and other workshops during the festival. They will be encouraged to volunteer during the festival so as to attain hand on experience working in professional settings on local, regional and international shows.
During school hours, they will cover theory and practical exercises from the curriculum. Assessment will mostly be through observation and tutor comments. There will be a few written tasks but nothing in the light of a test.
Sabela Summer School is a research pilot of a much bigger vision which is to set up an independent Bulawayo Institute of performing arts that will bridge the gap and churn out a different artiste for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and the world at large. This is a 15 year vision that has several development stages and several objectives. At the present moment, it is each day as it comes and each challenge as it arises.
Contact Butshilo