Blantyre Arts Festival preps high

Renovations at the French Cultural Centre (FCC) will be through by Tuesday next week in readiness for the Blantyre Arts Festival (BAF), festival coordinator MacArthur Matukuta said on Wednesday.

The place will host BAF from October 5 to 7.

The FCC, which government bought from the French Government and is yet to be renamed, was looted following a lapse.

Matukuta said all the plumbing and other construction works are over.

“What remains is to reconnect electricity and we have been assured that by Tuesday next week, everything will be finalised. We are also happy that this year, Poetry Africa is also bringing various poets to the festival,” said Matukuta.

The University of Kwazulu Natal-based Poetry Africa said on their website that poets Pedro Espi-Sanchis (Spain/ South Africa), Ewok (South Africa), Philo Ikonya (Kenya), Madosini (South Africa), Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Ghana), D’bi Young (Jamaica) and Malawi’s Chigo Gondwe-Chokani and Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa will perform on October 6.

Meanwhile, visual artists have said they are ready for the festival, with 12 artists on the line up. Curator at the festival Elson Kambalu said the artists will come up with works revolving around the theme Thou ART Free! which will tackle issues of freedom of expression.

“The choice of artists was based on their ability to respond to different issues affecting them and their communities through art. These 12 artists (one female) have proved to be thinkers in their field and are trying to think outside the box,” said Kambalu.

On the other hand, Poetry Association of Malawi (PAM) has lined out 20 poets to perform during the festival, according to the association’s publicity secretary Sylvester Kalizang’oma.

Malawi PEN national coordinator Alfred Msadala said they have organised a literary symposium during the festival, dubbed ‘Literature: Language of the World’.