Zawose Family Theatre - The Building Begins 15-Jun-2009

The Zawose Theatre in the town of Bagamoyo in Tanzania was a vital focus and centre for the cultural life of the town. It was devastated by fire some years ago but now, finally ,construction to rebuild this hub of music and dance began last week! John Simpson who has worked with the Zawose family for many years travelled out from London to help get the process going. He was able to take with him significant funds from Real World royalty payments due to the Zawose family following the death of the great Hukwe and his young nephew Charles. Here is John’s latest report and pictures:

Consulting local builders and the family we managed to settle for the attached plans. A large Makute roof with a stage, workshop and rehearsal space – very simple but if you know how these roofs look it will be quite spectacular. The construction will be done in two phases. The first being until I leave on the 7th July when the frame will be built for the roof and the decking and concrete foundations for the stage as well as digging a trench and laying the electrical cable. In September in the second and final stage we will roof the structure with the Makute (traditional thatch roof), finish the staging and carve the wooden trunk’s that hold the structure up.

On Sunday 24th May we had a ‘breaking the ground ceremony’. We invited another two music groups from the village ‘Chiivane’ and ‘Gendaeka band’ to play sets on the plot where the theatre will be. After the performances representatives of the family (Julius, Esteli, Sara, Simon, Msafiri and Ndahani) each shoveled dirt into the air to break the ground. After this we then cooked two goats and drank 120 sodas and 30 beers beside the bonfire as Chiivane played into the night. Photos to follow…

On Monday a flat-bed truck arrived in Bagamoyo with tonnes of wood (about a third of the total needed just for the structure). We got the wood from a governement wood store in Dar which means it is supposed to be from sustainably cut forests, they even provided a certificate so lets hope that is true. We have employed a Masai security guard to ensure nobody steals from the site during the construction. The workers are now busy each morning digging the foundations and we are confident that the first trunks of wood will be slotted into the ground today or tomorrow, changing the Zawoses plot of land for good. Some of the Zawoses are helping with the builders and the girls are cooking breakfast and lunch for everyone to keep them going.”

The wonderful documentary film made by John Simpson is now showing on Link TV in the USA this month

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Buy ‘Small Things Fall From The Baobob Tree’ by The Zawose Family