AfriKera Arts Trust, Music Crossroads Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy Trust are excited to host the 4th edition of The Arts Gathering (TAG) festival on the 5th of November 2022 at the Alliance Française Harare from 3:30-9:30pm.

By Tatenda Kanengoni

Arts and culture lovers are called on to converge at the Alliance Française to experience a one day programme curated to celebrate the best of African music, theatre, dance, fashion, visual art and witness a panel discussion on the surge of mental health related matters in Zimbabwe.

The theme for this year’s edition is “Full Circle”, an ode to the inaugural edition of the festival hosted in 2019 driven by will, determination and an unwavering need to see the creative industries flourish amidst resource limitations. Drawing from this mindset and in the face of similar challenges, this year, the frontrunners of the festival have had to go back to the drawing board and tap into the heart of why the festival was launched.

TAG co-organiser Melody Zambuko, Director of Music Crossroads Zimbabwe, reflects on the motivation behind the theme, the different and sometimes unpredictable stages the festival has undergone.

“Isn’t life always a full circle? The stages of our life are always positioned somewhere within a radius and the aerial view is indeed a circle, a big full circle.The stages we have gone through as a festival have not always been a smooth wave to surf on [and] this led to a complete retrospect on how it all started and the same likeness that has manifested itself in this current space. Hence, this year’s theme is dubbed “Full Circle”.” she explained

Three years later, the passion and tenacity of the organisers to put on a festival against all odds has undoubtedly resurfaced, this time, with more experience, more creative partners on board, and topped with a need to continue to showcase some of the best artistic outputs from the country, all reminiscent of the initial mission in 2019.

During some of the most challenging life moments, creativity prevails, as recently experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic where the arts rose to the occasion and “saved the day” keeping communities entertained and reflective with various lockdowns in place.

In the face of doubt and uncertainty, may we always remember why we started, and above all, may creativity continue to give us peace, joy, and harmony.

Confirmed acts for TAG 2022 include Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, dance ensembles from AfriKera Arts Trust, a theatrical piece courtesy of the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy, visual art presented by residents of the  Mbare Art Space, a fashion showcase by Haus of Stone, Kwamambokadzi, and Pachipamwe collectives.

The Arts Gathering (TAG) is a collaboration between three distinctive arts organizations in Zimbabwe namely; Music Crossroads Zimbabwe (MCZ), Afrikera Arts Trust (AAT) and Zimbabwe Theatre Academy Trust  (ZTA). It is a multidisciplinary festival where diverse forms of artistry meet ranging from solo to group acts of music, dance, theatre, comedy, spoken word, fashion, visual arts and more. This year’s edition is not only confined to the trades of the three aforementioned organisations; strategic partners and collaborators are invited to participate, contribute and make this event as culturally- rich, inclusive and diverse as possible.

A full day pass for the festival is available for $10.

Tickets can be purchased from:

Alliance Française Harare: 328 Herbert Chitepo Ave, Harare

AfriKera Arts Trust (Dance Hub): Alexandra Sports Club, 29 Blakiston Street, Harare

AfriKera Administration offices: 51 Harvey Brown, Milton Park Harare

Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe: 40279 Simbarashe close, Belvedere, Harare

Zimbabwe Theatre Academy: 4 Maasdorp Avenue Belgravia, Harare (Reps Theatre complex)

For more information contact:

Press and media: Tatenda Kanengoni 0774177189

Festival administration and tickets: +263713126997 / +263772815665