The Yezi Arts organised April International Theatre Festival has received a
contribution from the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.
This is towards the organisation of the festival which has a budget of
K217 million slated for the April 26 to 29, 2012.
“We are grateful for Government’s recognition of the importance of this
festival through their contribution of K10 million towards this privately
organised festival. The money which came through the National Arts
Council symbolises that theatre is not neglected completely and by this
gesture, the festival will certainly go on for the benefit of many theatre
artists who are drawn from Zambia, Zimbabwe,Malawi and Pakistan.
The government’s quest to empower especially the youth will be manifest
through this festival as many will gain out of exposure, training and
engagement.“The artists are expected to showcase their talent in the
various performances bordering on themes of Governance, Health,
Development and Culture.

After an almost five years absence, the April International Theatre Festival is back and scheduled for the Zambian capital of
Lusaka, April 24-28, 2012. The focus is to grow the festival and make it as diverse as possible. It is tight, diverse, professional,
and with two performances each day, theatre revelers will have a chance of watching both local and international theatre.
The theatre extravaganza is back!

Unlike previous festivals, all performances will be recorded DIRECT FROM THE STAGE and later shown on national television.
Participants will be awarded for attendance. The audience will make up for the euphoria and judge the productions as they
happen.

WORKSHOPS
As was a tradition, during the April International Theatre Festival, workshops will run alongside the festival. They will aim on
sharing different experiences in the industry. Not to forget that this empowerment is to ensure personal development for the
artists.

Artists in Kabwe have come together and formed an interim committee that will spearhead lobbying the local authority,
Kabwe Municipal Council, to revert Venus Theatre back to the artists so they can revive it, maintain it and run it
more efficiently as it was intended when it was built.

Venus is an art centre facility which was built in the late 50s and was named after a man called Venus who came up
with the idea and offered his land, so that this facility could be built. The facility has a theatre for on stage
performances and has a sitting capacity of 170, green room for performing artists, an art gallery to display art
works and a large space for future developments.

Over the years, due to unexplained circumstances, the facility was given to the Judiciary Department who had the plans
to use the facility as a regional court for the juvenile. That didn’t work out and the facility was rundown to almost
ruins. The artists have got concerned and have been prompted to petition the local authority so that they can get the
facility back and use it for its intended purpose.

The facility needs major repair works and will certainly cost a substantial amount, needing the support of the business
community, the donor community and individuals who are able, to come forward and help revive VENUS. VENUS can be a
fulcrum of the creative industries in central Zambia and provide Jobs and wealth creation for various artists and
businesses while providing entertainment to the local and visiting community.

The Patriotic Front government has committed itself to review the National
Arts Council Act and finalize the National Cultural Policy as a way of growing the
arts and cultural industry in the country. Speaking in Parliament during the
presentation of her maiden speech,Honorable Belinda Kawandami, who is Chifubu
constituency Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of the newly created Ministry
of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, stated that the review and finalization of the two
pieces of legislation is a matter of priority.

The review of the National Arts Council Act, which is long overdue, commenced over five years ago and has remained
on the drawing board while the Cultural Policy hasbeen moribund. The last Cultural Policy was launched in the early
2000, and in many instances was considered to have been a document that did not inspire the industry. In addition,
the government has also committed itself to providing appropriate infrastructure and facilities to grow the industry.

“Mr Speaker, the PF Government is committed to growing the arts and cultural
industry. We will continue with the programme of constructing cultural villages
at provincial level and extend them to the districts. We shall also embark
on the construction of the National Cultural Centre”.
As YEZI Arts Production we profoundly welcome the intimation by government and
particularly applaud the government to review the NAC Act and finalize the
Cultural Policy with emphasis on consulting the artists and arts practitioners
on both processes.