By Tendai Chisiri
With the National Arts Merits Awards being held in Bulawayo next year, the precursor to NAMA, NAMA Golf Day will be held at Bulawayo Golf Club on 10th of November this year.
Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC)manging director, Napoleon Nyani and NAMA executive producer said the golf day will be held in Bulaway amid high expectation that it will be well received.
” NAMA Golf Day in its 4th edition will be held in Bulawayo as well as NAMA. It is a platform that we have tried to create as a space for artists to interact with business executives. We figured what if we try to do conferences where we say business people come and meet with artists . There have been a lot of that before and we are still trying to create something of that nature but those spaces are too serious for artists. You go to boardrooms and sometimes executive don’t take artists seriously. The executives look down at artists because they expect them to come in their suits”, he said at the official launch of NAMA.
“The artists will come with their dreadlocks, in their regalia and the way they perform the arts. But that’s not most of the artists relate to or that’s not how they work. So we figured that maybe sport can be a middle ground. Football is a popular sport but are the executives able to discuss business? Maybe not but there is a culture where people discuss business. We try and get artists to pick up the sport of golf and meet up with the executives in a relaxed environment where there is no judgement”, he added.
In the game of golf, one can tee off play with a top executive without knowing and and only realize in the third hole of the eighteenth that the person next to him or her is a top figure in business. The probability of them becoming friends is high. If artists can get that kind of access, the big problem that artists have in the country, the issue of funding and corporate support will be solved.
All arts genres and arts sectors are represented, recognised or appreciated within NAMA through National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.
Previous editions of the Golf Day have been well received with artists and personalities such as Nutty-O, Anita Jaxson, Samantha Musa (Miss Red), Andile Musambasi (1st edition NAMA Golf Day winner), Russell Chiradza, Larry Kwirirayi,Chenesai Mangoma, Isaac Wiscot, Chiedz Kurwakumire, Shamiso Quang, Barry Mnandi, Mike Madoda to name a few taking part.
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