Technology is set to coexist with culture at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) fourth edition of the annual Cultural and Research Innovation Festival at its Ndata Campus, Thyolo District.
Must will host this year’s festival under the theme, Integrating Science, Technology, Arts, Culture and Heritage for Sustainable Innovation and Development in the Global South and some of the programme items include a research dissemination conference, pre-festival event and a cultural festival.
According to a statement from the organisers of the festival, 66 accepted papers across 10 thematic pillars of health and human development, digital futures (AI/data science), climate resilience; culture and indigenous knowledge will be presented.
“There will also be presentations on creative industries and arts; innovation and entrepreneurship; agriculture and food systems: inclusive development and governance; youth and future skills and knowledge system integration,” reads the communication in part.
Prior to the festival there will be musical performances by the Must Orchestra and guest artist Fada Motti while the cultural festival will feature performances by poet Robert Chiwamba as well as musicians Tay Grin and Temwah.
The festival’s organising committee chairperson who is also executive dean of Bingu School of Culture and Heritage Dr Atikonda Mtenje-Mkochi said in an interview, that this year they intend to broaden their reach beyond performing arts and they will elevate the event by featuring fashion for the first time.
“This year the festival is running for three days. We realiased we had limited time against the numerous activities on the programme and we have addressed that. We will have a summit which will engage youth on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and safeguarding,” she said.
There will also be cultural and dance competitions and Arts Bootcamp where participants will showcase poetry, music, paintings and graphic designs. Award-winning fashion designer Lily Alfonso will be the guest of honour.
In a separate interview, Chiwamba said the festival is crucial to the creative sector at a time when the world is preferring science over art.
The poet said that the festival’s emphasis on exploring the integrating science and art so they can go hand in hand with science providing the solutions and art simplifying understanding of the solutions to the people.
She said: “The creative industry will be exposed to scientific solutions that will improve their work. We have been crying for a system that would result in a fair and transparent system for data collection used in the distribution of royalties and blank media levy.
“It is these kind of interfaces where the creative industry can describe its pain points and science can address it.”
The festival expects to attract 3 000 patrons fifty exhibitors, fifty cultural groups and thirty small and medium enterprises. The event will be officially opened by Must Vice-Chancellor Associate Professor Mwapatsa Mipando.
