Easy access at the tip of your fingers, subscribe to our daily ePaper version of our New Era Newspaper.
Home / 21st National Arts and Cultural Festival a success
21st National Arts and Cultural Festival a success
2016-12-12Staff Report 2 Katima Mulilo The 21st annual National Arts and Cultural Festival which started here in the Zambezi Region last Monday ending on Saturday has been deemed a resounding success by the organisers. The festival attracted about 1 500 exhibitors and artists from various cultural groups who showcased the country’s rich and diverse cultures. Event organisers and spectators were impressed by every age group represented, an indication that in every age group cultural norms and practices are still maintained and practiced. “It is really impressive as all the groups were well-prepared. All of them were in uniform attire; the dancing, the singing and drama; they were really impressive,” said one of the organisers, Sally Buiswalelo. She was also excited by the fact that various age groups from all 14 regions were represented. “It’s amazing to have support from all the age group categories because all the regions brought the number that was required, from lower primary, secondary, to the elders; all of them are well represented,” she said. Buiswalelo added that this indicates that in keeping with the theme ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage: Keeping Culture Alive’, traditionl is still respected and people still adhere to their cultures, with many cultures still intact, “down to their roots”. Previously there used to be a prize-giving ceremony at the end, but this has been done away with. “We used to give prizes but then we realised that giving away prizes was a discouragement to other groups. We still give away prizes at regional level, but at this level all of them are winners,” said Buiswalelo. All the groups that participated however did not return empty-handed to their respective regions, as each group was given a participation fee of N$3 500. 2016-12-12Staff Report 2
