ZARA was born during I’Trôtra 2008, as three structures decided to work together for the benefit of the whole regional chorographical movement :
>> Vahinala, the organizing company ;
>> Inzalo Dance and Theatre Company (South Africa), historical technical and artistic partner of the festival ;
>> South African Theatre Initiative (SATI – South Africa), represented Matthews Manamela, thanks to the support of the Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud.
The Southern African Theatre Initiative (SATI) is a regional non government organization established in 1998 at a regional conference held in Johannesburg South Africa; involving the main role players in theatre who realised a need to come together and work as a unit for the development of theatre in Southern Africa and was officially formed in March 1999.
SATI’s main objectives are to improve, develop and raise the status of arts practitioners in Southern Africa by facilitating the exchange and sharing of ideas, experiences through capacity building programme. SATI identified skills gab and networking among arts practitioners in Southern African Region; as areas that needed and still needs intervention.
ZARA intends to link together artists, administrators, producers, events and festival organizers, funders, and so on, in order to strengthen the chorographical network in the area. Therefore, its main goals are :
>> to facilitate the exchange and sharing of ideas, experiences through capacity building programme de créer une plateforme de partage et d’échange, grâce à des séminaires, dans le but de développer la mise en réseau de l’ensemble des acteurs ;
>> to break up chorographical barriers that have been set up between the various forms of dances ;
>> to set up a platform that will help new talents to develop their potential ;
>> to promote, strengthen and valorize existing chorographical progams and initiatives in the area ;
>> to coordonate dance learning and development toward the youth ; to develop new strategies that will help these young dancers to make their way in the chorographical field.
ZARA project is therefore supposed to travel yearly to every country within the SADC area. The first stage is supposed to take place in Antananarivo and will last two days (28-29 September).
