by chipawo.admin | Mar 4, 2020 | News
WHAT THE MEDIA AND ARTS INDUSTRY EXPERTS SAID: “…..legendary playwright, cultural expert, theatre and dance guru and a cultural master practitioner…” UNESCO “Stephen Chifunyise, the prolific Zimbabwean playwright and cultural connoisseur…” CNN “…..arts icon, playwright and former top government official…” NewZimbabwe “…described Chifunyise as an arts administrator par excellence, endowed with unparalleled skills, vision and utmost creative ingenuity.” Nicholas Moyo – Herald. “Under his wise guidance, Mbende-Jerusarema Dance was proclaimed an intangible cultural heritage for humanity by UNESCO.” – Tafadzwa Zimoyo – Herald “……he co-founded the Children’s Performing Arts Workshop (Chipawo) in 1989—where the likes of Danai Gurira had the opportunity to have their talents developed at a young age.” OkayAfrica “Also an actor, director, musician and choreographer, he started his career in exile in Zambia during the 1970s, returning to Zimbabwe after independence in 1980. According to Amazon, he wrote 73 plays, 63 of which have been performed on stage, radio and television in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sweden, South Africa, Malawi, India, the UK etc.” Voice of Nigeria (VON) WHY THE FESTIVAL Stephen J Chifunyise died in August 2019 after a life dedicated to creative and cultural expression not only in Zimbabwe but Africa and the wider world through his work with UNESCO and as the go to guy for various continental and international bodies. At the time of his death, Stephen had penned more than 80 known theatre plays. Amongst some of the globally recognised titles are: “Rituals” (an exposition on the spiritual ramificationsas a result of some of the politically motivated killings of 2008 elections and the subsequent societal degradation), “Strange Bed Fellows”(Zimbabwe’s most travelled play), the...
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