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MWEZI WAWALA INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND THEATRE FESTIVAL - MALAWI 31st

AUGUST to 2nd SEPTEMBER 2012

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Introduction

Mwezi Wawala is a Chichewa phrase meaning ‘the moon is out and shining’ and so let us play

and enjoy! Traditionally in Malawi, it is under the moonlight where people sing, dance or sit

around a fire to hear stories usually from the elders passing on tradition and culture through

narratives, song and dance. The Mwezi Wawala International Arts and Theatre Festival is the

first of its kind in Malawi, where audiences will have a chance to see all performances as each

of the performances will be happening one after another at one place, that is, The Arts Café at

Nanzikambe Arts premises located on Plot No. SW8/500/16B on Mibawa Avenue in Naperi

Township, Blantyre. There will also be workshops conducted by professionals in their respective

artistic fields.

Aims of the Festival

Nanzikambe Arts aims to develop a better understanding and appreciation of arts

among Malawians and its linkage to socio-economic and geo-political needs of the

society by introducing quality indigenous, regional and international talents while at the

same time offering the public other diverse cultures with the aim of fostering

understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Creating an annual, unique, thrilling new form of entertainment as well as further raise

performance standards within the creative industries in Malawi with a focus of

marginalized arts genres: poetry, acoustic music, traditional dance and theatre through

exposure to professionals in the field.

Providing, through the festival, add-ons such as training workshops to performance &

fine artists as well as arts-oriented support workers such as lighting technicians, sound

technicians and artisans such as set designers and builders, mask and puppet makers,

carpenters and stage and production managers.

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Providing family entertainment for audiences of different cultural backgrounds, three

days in a row: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, once every year in August at The Arts Café

for Nanzikambe Arts.

Mwezi Wawala International Arts and Theatre Festival will act as a forum for exposing

and developing talent. Nanzikambe Arts will provide a professional environment for

artists and audiences

Working with the Malawian Government to help achieve the Malawi Growth &

Development Strategies (MGDS) on the cultural development front

Working in partnership with the private sector and NGOs with visions of realising the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on the cultural development front

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Introduction to the Main Groups that will perform at Mwezi Wawala International Arts and

Theatre festival – Malawi 2012

NANZIKAMBE ARTS - MALAWI (ORGANIZER & HOST)

Nanzikambe, literally meaning chameleon, is a leading

arts development organization that is involved in the

creation and performance of high quality, innovative

touring theatre productions, film and radio drama, and

work with the development community to use theatre

and the arts to support positive social transformation on

key thematic areas of health, good governance, malaria

prevention, HIV&AIDS prevention, maternal health and

climate change. Since its formation in March 2003,

Nanzikambe Arts has grown to become a centre of

excellence in the southern Africa region, performing

collaborative work within Malawi, across the SADC

Region, and internationally. The organization has over 15

productions of international standards to its credit and is

releasing in 2012: The President’s Prerogative, And Crocodiles are Hungry at Night, Come

Freedom Come, and The Story of a Tiger, among others, all of which will be part of the festival in

August 2012.

CHANCELLOR COLLEGE THEATRE - MALAWI

The main catalyst for an orientation towards popular theatre in Malawi came from the

University of Malawi, Chancellor College. Malawi University Travelling Theatre started with

adaptations. Throughout the 1980’s Chancellor College theatre grew in strength supported by

the introduction of a fine and performing Arts Department. Chancellor College performances

are highly professional, thought provoking and entertaining.

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ST ANDREWS INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – MALAWI

The high school came to be known as Saint Andrews International High School in 1994 (Saints)

as it is known now to reflect the international and diverse nature of its student body. The

demographics of the school include students of Asian, African, and European descent. The

school with its highly qualified theatre practitioners boasts of impressive productions of

international standards.

MUDZI CULTURAL TROUPE – MALAWI

Mudzi Cultural Troupe is among the best

dance groups in Malawi. It has performed

in Scotland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The

group also featured in the award winning

play, Mercy Madonna of Malawi, directed

by Toby Gough which was performed

across Malawi and at the Edinburgh

Festival in Scotland.

NYAMALIKITI NTHIWATIWA, Q MALEWEZI & LINDA POETICANGEL GABRIEL [POETS] MALAWI

CHISOMO MDALLA, popularly known in entertainment circles

as Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa, is a Malawian artist working in

theatre, poetry, prose and fine art. He has performed his

poetry at the Crossing Borders festival in Uganda and the Arts

Alive Festival in Johannesburg, and recorded a yet-to-be-

marketed poetry collection. He completed his Honors degree

in drama and film at Wits University, South Africa while he is

previously a student of medical geography, French and

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education. He has been running Chiphwelemwe, an arts outfit that fuses theatre and folk music

to poetry as a fully staged performance.

QABANISO MALEWEZI, better known as ‘Q’, was born on

7th September 1979 in Lilongwe, Malawi. Passionate about

performing arts, he was accepted into the prestigious

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) whose patron

is Sir Paul McCartney. Q’s acceptance into the institute was

a historical mark because he was the first African to ever

be accepted. After LIPA he went on to the Academy of

Contemporary Music (ACM). Although most of his training

has been in music, Q has always been a poet and a writer at heart. His vivid writing style is full

of life, vibrancy, rhythm and imagination as echoed in his self described ‘I will not tell you, I will

show you’ approach to writing. As a performer, Q has the ability to capture and relate to any

audience invoking a range of emotions through his heartfelt performances laced with slight

doses of humorous undertones.

LINDA POETIC ANGEL GABRIEL

She is one of the crop of exciting female

performance poets to emerge out of Zimbabwe.

Bilingual, her linguistic versatility is forged into

brilliant poems written in either English or Shona,

depending on which language effectively expresses

what issue. She started performing poetry in high

school and has since participated in major literary

events in Zimbabwe and the rest of Southern Africa. She is one of the poets to take part in the

British Council initiative, ‘Power in the Voice’ that saw her travel to Zambia. The Poetic Angel

has added a musical dimension to her performance and formed a performance band.

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DYSON GONTHI

He is a veteran radio dramatist-cum-cultural

activist with over 30 years work experience with

Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Radio

One as a broadcaster in addition to having worked

as a Chichewa news bulletin editor for MBC and a

reporter for the Information Department. He is

famed by the household Kalondolondo radio

programme that was aimed at unearthing

historical information, hitherto unknown to

Malawians in addition to his renowned role of anchoring Nzeru nkupangwa. The multi-talented

Gonthi also featured in Malawi’s first ever television TV soap opera, Mama’s Restaurant as

Chisale. Dyson is a Chewa who hails from Ntchisi district in central Malawi and enjoys Gule wa

mkulu due to its lessons around issues of morality. He also likes Chisamba, a traditional dance

involving women and teaches about life and death. A church elder for Peak Hour Church, Dyson

has had it all: handles Tilondole ananu on TVM, a culture-oriented programme, stage

performed The Coming at Robert Blake Secondary School in 1964, a play about the coming of

Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda into Malawi to fight for freedom and has been to Singapore

studying evangelism at the Haggai Training Institute and has been to conferences in such places

like Holland. Currently, Dyson is the director for Dygo Cultural Troupe and also heads Culture

Heritage and Development Centre based in Chief Jonathan’s area in the area of Traditional

Authority Kapeni in Chileka, Blantyre. He is also the vice chairperson of the Blantyre Arts

Festival and is fascinated by story-telling, such that he goes into villages story-telling to children

and others.

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PLANET B - FRESCO THEATRE, WELL WORN THEATRE COMPANY AND DARK LAUGH – SOUTH

AFRICA

Planet B was conceptualised by Kyla Davis

(Well Worn Theatre Co), in collaboration

with Helen Iskander (Fresco) and Mongi

Mthombeni (Dark Laugh). The aim was to

make a non-didactic, engaging piece of

theatre about climate change. Wits

University offered them an Artistic

Residency to create the work and a

platform to perform. The play first performed at the Nunnery Theatre, Johannesburg in May

2011. It then toured to the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown (July2011), Out The Box

Festival, Cape Town (Sept 2011), and as part of the COP17 conference on climate change in

Durban (Dec 2011). Playing to great critical acclaim, Planet B continues to gather momentum,

with further plans to tour nationally and internationally during 2012 – 2013.

THEATRE KONSTANZ – GERMANY

Theatre Konstanz is the oldest permanently performing theatre in

Germany (since 1607). Today the theatre has about 100 employees,

including 22 actors. This company produces around 25 shows every year.

The theatre attracts more than 100,000 spectators a year and is,

therefore, an important factor in the public life of Konstanz. Theatre

Konstanz is situated far in the south of Germany directly at the border

with Switzerland.

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JUNGES THEATRE OF GOTTINGEN – GERMANY

Junges Theatre of Gottingen is an old and

exciting German-language theatre company

based in the small city of Gottingen,

specializing in the provision of high quality

drama in German for both young children and

adults. Junges Theatre of Gottingen’s

productions are highly professional and

entertaining. Junges Theatre of Gottingen

harnesses talents – actors from Germany and other parts of the world, directors and script writers in

creating their magical new concepts in theatre. To date Junges Theatre of Gottingen has created

numerous shows for school children as well as conducted workshops with them on a wide range of

issues through theatre for education. www.junges-theater.de

FIBIN TEO – IRELAND

Fíbín stands for "an explosion of joy and

happiness". Founded in 2003 Fíbín is a young,

new and exciting Irish-language theatre-

company based in Connemara, specializing in

the provision of high quality drama in Irish for

children, young people and the young at heart.

By using an innovative combination of drama

and puppetry together on the one stage, the end

result is a highly visual style of presentation which transcends all language boundaries; Fíbín

productions make the Irish language accessible to everyone. Fíbín also harness locally produced

Gaeltacht talents - actors, puppeteers, designers and script writers in creating their magical new

concept in theatre.

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BLACK NORDIC THEATRE – NORWAY

Nordic Black Theatre is a self-run theatre foundation established in 1992. The core activity is

theatre production but they work with a wide spectrum of partners in a variety of creative arts.

They also work with developing young transcultural actors via their theatre school Nordic Black

Xpress (NBX). Nordic Black Theatre is run by Jarl Solberg as Director and Cliff A. Moustache as

the Artistic Director.

BEN MICHAEL MANKHAMBA

Guitarist, Singer, Song writer, Composer, Performer, Producer, Percussionist, Choreographer,

Actor, Director and Social Activist

Ben Mankhamba has performed his music at many

festivals worldwide, notable of which are: the Bayimba

Festival in Kampala, Uganda under the Goethe Institute

funded Moving Africa Project in September 2011, the

85th Agricultural Commercial Show in Lusaka, Zambia in

July 2011, performed and conducted workshops in

Germany (Munich, Berlin and Hannover in May 2011.

In July 2010 he represented Malawi at the 84th

Agricultural Commercial Show in Lusaka, Zambia,

represented Malawi at the 4th Africa Freedom Day in

Lusaka, Zambia in May 2010, as well as winning the Fair Play for Africa Song competition in

2010, has, since 2010 to date, been the Standard 3 Radio programmes teacher, Mr. Chibwana,

for Primary Curriculum and Assessment Reform (PCAR). He attended in 2010 a film production

workshop conducted by German film director, Wolfgang Panzer, he teaches African Drumming

Ensemble at Sir Harry Johnston International School in Zomba, Malawi and composed songs for

a Theatre Company called RISE UP MALAWI for the play Mercy Madonna of Malawi that was

performed at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2010 and won 2 awards. Ben also

composed the winning the Pakachere ONE LOVE theme song composition organized by a local

Organization, Pakachere Health and Development Institute, represented Malawi in 2009 at the

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2nd Pan African Cultural Festival in Algiers, Algeria with The Zig Zaggers Band and was chosen in

2008-09 by the Malawi Electoral Commission as the only Band to Civic Educate people on the

electoral process in view of 2009 elections. Above all this, Ben Mankhamba has been a six times

winner of the national Kuche Kuche Music Competition from 2000 to 2006. In 2003 and 2004,

he composed sound tracks and songs for “African Macbeth” with Nanzikambe Arts and

performed at HIFA in Zimbabwe. In 2006, Ben performed in Tokyo, Japan with Kohei Yamada on

World Aids Day and served, from 2006 to 2008, as Board Member for UNESCO Malawi.

WALIKO MAKHARA

Ethnomusicologist, TV Producer, Choreographer, Cultural Activist, Columnist, Poet, Literary

Critic, Composer, Multi-instrumentalist and Stage Actor

Walikho Makhara is a multi-talented professional based in Blantyre. He

is currently the Chief Producer at TV Malawi and MBC Band. Walikho is

the Founding member of Wakhumbata Workshop Theater with Du

Chisiza Jr. He has been to different arts festival among others; the

famous SADC Cultural Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe, African Festival in

Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, the Taipei Arts Festival Republic of China,

and other musical festival including the Paris Musical Festival. Walikho

Makhara was commissioned in 1987 by the government of Malawi to

conduct a nation- wide research on the position of arts and culture in

Malawi, and later Commissioned by Government to establish Malawi Cultural Troupe. Walikho

is also the founder of the famous Jalawe Band. Walikho is also a Columnist with Malawi News -

Cultural Heritage

CHARLES CHAVALAMANGWERE MKANTHAMA Charles Chavalamangwere Mkanthama is an ethnomusicologist who was trained by his great

grandfather and other griots that used to visit the area he grew up in and has recently been

connected to the world of music through training done by two Zimbabwe-based music schools,

the Nhasi Mangwana School of Music and the Zimbabwe College of Music. Chavalamangwere

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also benefitted from music training at the University of Pretoria where he was mentored by the

renowned Professor Mike Mzewi.

In 2004, Chavalamangwere went to Zimbabwe for a course at the University of Malawi and also

attended a two weeks music workshop in Gweru, Zimbabwe the same year. In 2005, he

received a Certificate in indigenous Music of Africa from the Zimbabwe College of Music.

In 2005, he was privileged to be the King’s Soother for the Zambia-based Chewa Chief, Kalonga

Gawa Undi, who is headquartered at Mkaika, Zambia and his role was to play music for the king

at the 2005 Kulamba Annual Chewa Celebrations thereby being accorded the chance to

scrutinise and even question even the King’s behaviour without being reprimanded.

2009 saw Charles Chavalamangwere Mkanthama as a student at the University of Pretoria

where he got yet another Certificate in African Indigenous Cultural Arts Education.

In 2008, he went to attend an Education Week Festival in SENEGAL, representing teachers from

the SADC Region who use locally available musical resources where he came across a musical

instrument called Cora which is what makes his music special and with which he plays Sans i

Bangwe, Marimba, Mangolongondo of Nsanje, Timbila of Mozambique, bow - a Zulu women

instrument and Mbira of Zimbabwe.

In October 2009, Chavalamangwere accompanied 5 kids whom he also trained to Norway and

conducted a 3 weeks’ music workshop with 17 kids in Fredrickstad, Norway in addition to

facilitating the International Children’s Workshop and led performances in Oslo, Norway and

Sweden.

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IMBEWU PRODUCTIONS COMPANY PROFILE

Imbewu Productions formed in

2011 as Khayelitsha-based

collaborative project of five Cape

Town based theatre makers:

Thando Doni, Laen Heshler, Aphiwe

Qhama Menziwa , Asanda Rilityana, and Mkhuseli Richard Tafane. The organization is geared

towards producing professional theatre in the townships of Cape Town and providing an access

to resources and networking possibilities for local theatre artists. The vision of the company

includes cultivating a professional arts culture in the townships through festivals, workshops

and the construction of theatre spaces that will bring in audiences from the city and inspire

economic growth in the community. We believe in the great potential of the performing arts to

heal, inspire, and positively transform our community as well as the global community, at large.

With its most recent production, Mhla Salamana ( Zabalaza Festival 2012), Imbewu sent

tremors through the South African theatre world and has already been requested for runs in

three Cape Town theatres. The show not only captured the heart and souls of its audiences but

also made a great statement for the potential of Xhosa text and performance styles to reach

across the perceived barriers and succeed within both a community and mainstream theatre

market. Imbewu Productions is currently in the process of becoming a registered South African

Non- Profit ad Public Benefit Organization.

THE NATIONAL DANCE TROUPE

Profile not yet here

And more applications are yet to be reviewed.

Contacts For details, please send email enquiries to:

nkhwachimhango@nanzikambearts.org chrisnditani@nanzikambemw.org

telephone: +265 (0) 111 611 410 or +265 (0) 999 951 273, +265 (0) 994 063 120, and +265 (0) 111 620 182

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