Bulawayo gallery launches outreach program for kids

Program honors slain journalist Daniel Pearl

Bulawayo, December 19^th 2007: For 11 year old Alidy Muntanga harmony is fair play in a soccer match where players neither engage in rough tackles nor cause physical harm to opponents. Nine year old Talent Gwarazimba sees it as a man dropping a gun in a bin and waving joyously with the other. Nolwazi Magutshwa- a grade 6 pupil- shows a picture of three individuals holding hands.

Paul Engelstad, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassywith participating children

The images of harmony are the products of a four day workshop conducted by the Bulawayo Art Gallery for 120 children aged between 4 years and 12 years in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb between November 10^th and November 13^th.

“I am excited. This is a first. We plan to have more of such seminars during school holidays throughout Bulawayo,” says Voti Thebe, Acting Director of the Bulawayo Art Gallery.
“They are the future. The gallery will continue such programs in future where we will explore other themes,” he says.

The United States Embassy provided enough art supplies for 300 children. As part of a partnership with the U.S. Embassy, the Gallery provided the expertise and human capacity to enhance the skills of the children through five of the Gallery’s finest resident artists.
Resident artists spoke highly of the potential among the children.

Stella Ndebele, who specializes in semi- abstract paintings, says the children had a different view of art prior to the workshop.

“We introduced the children to art using crayons, paint brushes, paints, papers and pencils. All this is new to the kids. They had a different view of art. Some think of art as a drawing of a car or a house,” says resident artist Ndebele.

“Art is broad and we also make them appreciate that they can live through art”, she says.
Fisani Nkomo, another resident artist, also enjoyed the experience of working with children but says the facilitators had to overcome challenges working with children from diverse backgrounds.

“On the first day the children get to know each other. We try to create a spirit of freedom to allow them to express their ideas without fear”, says Nkomo.

“The second day involved guiding them through the use of pencil and other tools of the trade.

“They also pick up the theme of harmony- ukuhlalisana in SiNdebele. They have different versions of what they perceive to represent ukuhlalisana,” says Nkomo.

A resident artist from the Bulawayo Art Gallery demonstrates to children

The inaugural theme- harmony- chosen for the workshop is drawn from the slogan ‘harmony for humanity’-a name given to concerts celebrating Daniel Pearl’s life and legacy by the Daniel Pearl Foundation. Inspired by his life, the festival uses the universal language of music and art to diminish hatred, instill respect for differences and inspire ‘harmony’ for humanity.

Pearl was a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, America’s largest financial and business newspaper. He was kidnapped on January 23rd, 2002 on his way to an interview with a so- called terrorist leader in Karachi, Pakistan. Pleas for his release were made by his editor and his wife, who was pregnant with their son Adam. After the terrorist’s demands were not met, Daniel was decapitated nine days after his capture

“Pearl believed music could bridge the differences between people. In the spirit of his love of music and commitment to dialogue, the Daniel Pearl Foundation launched the first Daniel Pearl World Music Day on October 10, 2002, which would have been the journalist’s 39th birthday,” says Paul Engelstad, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy.

Two concerts to honor Daniel Pearl have been lined up at the Bulawayo Art Gallery and Mpopoma High School on Friday January 18^th and Saturday January 19^th 2008 respectively. Alidy Muntanga, Talent Gwarazimba and other children will have a chance to showcase their images of harmony during the two concerts.