2017 BAF: Strictly local acts
One of the country’s biggest arts festivals, the Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF) comes back to life in October. The festival celebrates arts on forms of music, drama, visual arts, among others. As the days of the festival draw near, our Entertainment and Arts Editor EDITH GONDWE caught up with the festival’s executive director Thom Chibambo of BAF for more:
Q
: Tell us more about this year’s Blantyre Arts Festival?
A
: BAF is a non-governmental organisation [NGO]which is meant to promote creative industry in Malawi. BAF 2017 will be held from 6-8 October at Blantyre Cultural Centre and Jacaranda Cultural Centre, respectively. We have extended our festival to another venue which is Jacaranda Cultural Centre to provide more opportunities for our audience to be part of this year’s festival. At this year’s BAF, we have added a flavour by adding urban musicians.
Q
: What is unique about the festival this year?
A
: The significance of this year’s festival is that the festival will be headlined with local presentations unlike previous years when international artist were headliners of the festival, we have done so because we want Malawians to appreciate local creativity and talent. We want to promote and safeguard local talent. BAF this year is presenting the biggest street cultural carnival ever in Malawi.
Q
: We have seen a number of international personalities coming to Malawi during previous festivals, what has prompted the organisers to go strictly local this time around?
A
: We are advocating the concept of patriotism and people should be proud of themselves as Malawians so that we move the development agenda in its fullest context. BAF realises the importance of culture in development hence we offer our local artist a space to articulate their aspirations and visions.
Q
: We have seen in the past organisers announcing a lineup of performers only to see that some of the performers are absent. What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure that all artists that lined up do actually show up?
A
: BAF has never experienced that and we engage artists that are trustworthy and they fulfill the promise. We make sure that they sign a contract. BAF also offers the artists rare opportunities to advance their career and also to establish credible networking within the creativity industries.
Q
: For the past few years that BAF has been operational, what are some of the major achievements of the festival?
A
: BAF has established itself as a force to reckon with in the industry thereby helping capacity building. This is evident through the various outreach programmes. BAF is one of the institutions that has managed over the years to put Malawi on the map. For example BAF trio comprising of Ben Mankhamba, Agorosso and Giddes Chalamanda toured Germany where they received international acclaim through their performances. In terms of theatre, BAF has actively managed an outreach program targeting educational institutions including Chichiri secondary school theatre club toured Germany under this arrangement. Solomonic Peacocks Theatre Company worked in corroboration with BAF in fulfilment of this mission
Q
: In your opinion, are the arts improving in Malawi?
A
: Yes though a lot of investment has to be done in order to make art a vibrant industry. n
