AMAKHOSI Cultural Centre — the home of theatre in Bulawayo — will this weekend join in the celebration of the city’s 120th anniversary by staging some of its most memorable plays. Entertainment Reporter
Styx Mhlanga of Amakhosi told Southern Eye Lifestyle that some of the plays that would be staged at Bulawayo’s community halls are Inxusa Festival Award nominated productions.
They include The Madalas and The Song of a Woman, among many other acts.
On Saturday Amakhosi will be at Pumula Hall between 2pm and 6pm.
Mhlanga said the initiative was part of Amakhosi’s way of giving back to the community.
“As artistes who have benefited a lot from the structures of our local government, we would like to make sure we take part in the celebrations by partnering the city and carrying out a community outreach to the townships,” he said.
Amakhosi Theatre Productions was founded in 1980 by Styx’s brother Cont in Bulawayo’s oldest township of Makokoba.
It started as a youth karate club before its transformation in 1988 into an arts performing centre.
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Cont steered it to be one of the premier arts centres in Zimbabwe that produced plays showcased locally and internationally.
In 1995, Amakhosi opened a multipurpose cultural centre on the outskirts of the city centre, which is now a hub for Bulawayo’s cultural industries.
According to a post on its website: “Amakhosi Cultural Centre’s vision is to be the centre of excellence in training, producing and programming of quality content of African performing arts.
“Notwithstanding its African originality, Amakhosi is not xenophobic, as it appreciates diversity through partnering and working with producers, instructors and distributors from any part of the world, thus enriching and adding value to its products and its Amakhosi Arts Academy trains students from diverse national, cultural and racial backgrounds.”
Some of Amakhosi’s plays provoked the authorities with their hard hitting commentary.
A number of artistes used the centre to launch their careers and some of them are making it big in South Africa’s more competitive entertainment industry.
A number of activities are lined up to celebrate Bulawayo’s 120th anniversary with June expected to be the climax.
