The remains of sorry BCC

There are places and establishments which just retain a legacy, rich history and memories no matter what.

In Malawi, as far as art is concerned, one place which has a special place in many people’s hearts is Blantyre Cultural Centre (BCC), formerly French Cultural Centre.

This platform is where most artistic careers have been birthed, shaped and others blossomed be it in music, dance or theatre. When event organisers thought of hosting an event in Blantyre, the first stop was the then French Cultural Centre.

International acts such as Salif Keita, Oliver Mtukudzi, Ismael Lo, Rebecca Malope and Youssou N’dor have all graced the centre while it was at its immaculate best.

On the local front, when we talk of Allan Namoko, Bright Nkhata, Du Chisiza Jnr, Eric Mabedi, John Nyanga, Evison Matafale, Paul and Lucius Banda, Vic Marley, Ethel Kamwendo-Banda and a host of other artists have their names established on the foundations of the centre.

That just shows how much the place has been to Malawi arts for ages. It is hard to separate the place from the story of Malawian arts in simpler terms. The two are almost synonymous. Rightly so, theatre enthusiasts christened the venue as the theatre mecca and no one can fault that.

But since the place fell under the management of the Malawi Government in 2012, the legacy that the venue enjoyed from the French government has been nothing, but a serious threat.

From the state and standards that the place enjoyed historically, it is thousand miles from what it used to be. People who had a feel of the place back then and what it meant and brought to the arts sector can drop a tear seeing what remains of the place now. 

Sadly, all this is happening under the watch of the owners, Malawi Government through Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture. Over the years, half-hearted efforts, mainly just paper work and lip service, have been made in the name of rehabilitating the place. But years later, nothing to show for on the ground has been done.

As the centre languishes in a state of despair, creative players have to do with less favourable venues for their performances. Here is a venue which was boasting of customised performance arenas replete with the necessary acoustics.

But today the place is barely recognisable for its purpose. The authorities need to move faster and apply earnest efforts in trying to savage what is left of the place. The longer it takes to rehabilitate the place, the higher the cost will be to bring it to life again.

The festivals galore…

As the season slides into summer, you are assured of one thing; festivals, festivals and festivals.

Event organisers from all walks of life sprout to announce the holding of new and old festivals. As we stand, indicators show the situation will not be any different this summer. May be the schedule may be more cluttered than before.

At this stage, maybe three new festivals have already been added to the ballooning annual schedule which fan lovers have to deal with yearly.

It is not wrong to come up with an idea of an event such as a festival. But let the organisers be sure that they are bringing something new and unique. What purpose will it serve to have 17 identical events on our calendar?

If you are bringing a new product on the market, there is need to do a thorough market assessment so you can identify the gaps that you are filling. You can never find space on top or below your competitor.

Much as the market is a liberalised space, still attention has to be given to the quality of the product that we are bringing on the market. Let us not just do things for the sake of it. The sustainability of these events hinges on their ability to attract clients.