EU rewards local artists with competition to celeb...

EU rewards local artists with competition to celebrate culture month

Jobst von Kirchmann (@vonKirchmannEU) / Twitter — **Jobst von Kirchman**

European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jobst von Kirchman, has launched a sculpturing competition as part of the on-going Culture Month celebrations.

The festivities are an extension of the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrated globally on May 21 and are running under the theme ‘Promoting Cultural Diversity, Unity and Peace’.

Addressing artists and art fanatics who were gathered at Chitungwiza Arts Centre for the launch recently, Von Kirchman said he was impressed with the sculptures he had seen whilst on a brief tour of the centre and encouraged the competing artists to have this year’s theme in mind whilst doing their art pieces.

“As I went around here, I saw that this place in itself is a place that unites people in their diversity. I could see all the different sculptures here, small, big, different colours, different forms, abstract, concrete, you could see all different things.

“When you work on these sculptures, I would want you to think of the theme ‘United in Diversity’. It’s a vast theme and you can interpret it in your own way and I wish you good luck”, he said.

Artists who spoke to this publication said they were grateful for the opportunity to showcase their skills while being rewarded for it.

“As a female artist, I’m more than happy because of this initiative by the EU. It’s not every day that we get an opportunity to do what we do best and be given a prize for it,” Lorraine Usai Mamvura said.

“I am all geared up for the competition and my fellow artists are as well. Who would want to miss an opportunity as great as this,” said another artist, Samson Mukohwa.