On Friday 15th May 14 teachers from rural schools and 7 artists from rural communities will complete their 21 day "Train the Trainee" course in Arts Education for Development and Employment and go back to their communities not only with a certificate but a sufficient proficiency in music, dance and drama to start teaching what CHIPAWO calls Arts Education for Development and Employment. Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture in the new inclusive government will be the Guest of Honour. The project is being supported by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe.

The participants come from all over Zimbabwe, namely Mutare, Kadoma, Chinhoyi, Gwanda, Magunje, Mt Darwin and Tsholotsho. The course donsisted of the following components:

1. Performing Arts - drama, dance (traditional and modern) and music (marimba, mbira, drumming, hosho or shakers)

2. Mwana Anokosha - a syllabus component that deals with child welfare and protection, rights, HIV/AIDS and gender

3. The CHIPAWO Pedagogy (or method/philosophy of education)

4. Teaching the performing arts - CHIPAWO session and teaching methods etc.

The idea is that they will go back to their schools and start operating an arts education for development and employment programme. At one of the schools, CHIPAWO will be assisting the community to open up and operate an arts education centre based on the CHIPAWO model.

It is being stressed during the course that arts education can disempower or underdevelop the child just as much as it can empower and develop. The CHIPAWO pedagogy and practice is aimed at empowering and developing children through arts education.

At the Graduation Ceremony the course participants will be demonstrating something of what they have learnt by dancing traditional dances, modern choreographies, playing music and presenting short plays.

For more information on the course, see the Information Profile below.

BRINGING ARTS EDUCATION FOR DEVELOPMENT TO MORE CHILDREN PILOT PROJECT: CHIKWIRA PRIMARY SCHOOL, MT DARWIN

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The project involves:

"Training of two (2) teachers and one (1) community artist from seven (7) schools and communities in the establishment and running of a CHIPAWO model arts education for development and employment centre

" the establishment of arts education for development and employment programmes at one (1) centre, namely Chikwira Primary (Mashonaland Central), including training, supervision and monitoring. This centre will belong to and be run by the school and community themselves, with the assistance of CHIPAWO. It will not be a CHIPAWO centre. It will also function as a cluster nucleus, impacting on other schools and communities in the same district.

Establishment of the Arts Education for Development and Employment programme involves the following steps:

FIRST TERM 2009
1.      Research and consultation with the school and community concerned
2.      Identification of teachers and local artists for training as arts educators and centre co-ordinators
3.      Training of teachers and local artists who will become the arts educators and centre co-ordinators in the programme
4.      Ensuring the provision of basic instruments - marimba, mbira, ngoma, hosho and magavhu

SECOND/THIRD TERMS
5.      Commencement of arts education with the assistance of CHIPAWO
6.      Supervision and monitoring
7.      Excursions and minifestivals in district cluster

The programme has the capacity to be developed further in the areas of development and employment, namely through:

"Income-generating activities such as marimba and dance ensembles, which have the capacity to raise money for the children's education and the better equipment of their schools" training and vocational skills as Arts Educators, performing artists, musical instrument manufacturers and media artists and technicians, which open up employment opportunities.

"child welfare, HIV/AIDS, psychosocial support, gender sensitivity and poverty reduction support activities and systems" development of district arts education clusters.

The project falls under the CHIPAWO programme, 'Bringing CHIPAWO to More Children'. - a CHIPAWO programme aimed at opening up access to CHIPAWO's arts education for development programme to children who presently do not have access to it. This programme comes in the wake of the Disadvantaged Rural Children project, supported by SIDA between 2002 and 2005.

Arts Education programmes facilitated by CHIPAWO under the SIDA Disadvantaged rural Children Project.

Established in 2003
Binga (Mat. North), Tsholotsho (2) (Mat. North), Shamva (Mash. Central), Chivhu
(Midlands), Plumtree Mat. South), Zvishavane (Mat. South), Zaka (Masvingo),
Norton (Mash. Central) and Gokwe (Mat. North)

Established in 2004
Nyanga (Manicaland), Chipinge (Manicaland), Rusape (Mash. East), Mutoko, (Mash.
East), Chirumhanzu (Midlands), Shurugwi (Midlands), Gwanda (Mat. South), Chivi
(Masvingo), Chiredzi (Masvingo), Chinhoyi (Mash. Central).