The beat of the mbira will meet the pulse of local creativity when the Ndau Festival of the Arts returns to Bangira Village in Chipinge on September 26, with Bonny T, Dr Chivhuro and the Paiyapo Mbira Group set to headline the 2026 edition.
The festival will be held at the Paiyapo Arts Development and Heritage Centre under the theme: “Ndau Creatives Unplugged: Local Writers and Performers Pushing Boundaries in Cultural and Economic Empowerment.”
Festival founder and director Phillip Kusasa said this year’s edition would place greater emphasis on documenting the biographies of artists from the Ndau cultural space, with the aim of inspiring young people to view creative careers as viable economic opportunities regardless of their background or location.
“The festival’s quest is to make such biographies visible, hence inspiring the local youth that despite location anyone can excel in the creative industries, especially if space is created for such activities,” Kusasa said.
The festival will showcase traditional dance, music, poetry, theatre, visual art, storytelling and cultural exhibitions.
Traditional dance groups expected to participate include Chiaraidze, Muzite, Holland and Ndamera, while schools will form a major part of the programme.
Participating schools include Chibuwe High, Chikore High, Gaza High, Mt Selinda High, Mutendi High, Chinaa High, Mafumhe (Meadowlands) Secondary School, Musirizwi Secondary School, Bangira Primary School, Gaza Primary School, Rebai Primary School and Bongai Shamwari.
Kusasa said the festival would also use artists’ life stories to strengthen links between education, heritage and economic participation.
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He said the initiative was aligned with Zimbabwe’s Heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy, which incorporates teaching and learning, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation.
“Most learners still doubt the economic potential embedded in arts. So bringing examples of people who are depending on arts would inspire the local schools,” he said.
The 2026 programme will also seek to strengthen interaction between schools, artists and tertiary institutions.
Kusasa said Marymount Teachers College, Mutare Teachers College and Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences were expected to participate, particularly in discussions around indigenous languages, research and tourism.
The festival’s emphasis on documentation builds on its broader role in safeguarding Ndau cultural heritage and promoting the ChiNdau language.
A 2026 study published in Cogent Arts & Humanities described the festival as a community-based initiative founded in 2013 and identified the Paiyapo Arts Development and Heritage Centre as its coordinating hub.
The study noted that the festival uses music, dance, storytelling and other creative practices to support the revitalisation of ChiNdau.
Kusasa said this year’s edition would therefore seek to connect artistic performance with cultural preservation, education and economic opportunity.
“We feel this year should be dedicated to documenting such biographies,” he said.
