Children Botswana Art group to partake at PACE festival
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday July 7, 2023 15:21
The founder and director of Children Botswana Art group, Kealeboga Mosekiemang told Arts & Culture that they received the invitation to be part of this year’s event. She stated that the aim of PACE 2023 was to increase the global reach of the interdisciplinary creative arts industries in Africa and contribute to the development of future work from the continent.
She added that PACE 2023 would facilitate connections between the growing creative and cultural industries in Africa and international partners worldwide, to reinforce a world-class business-to-business event that reflects the wider global cultural significance of the creativity of Africa. She added that they would be showcasing The Play Of Chiwele at the festival.
“Attending the PACE festival would be an incredible opportunity for our group, providing our children with a unique platform to showcase their talents and creativity. It would offer them a chance to interact and collaborate with fellow young artists from different backgrounds, fostering cultural exchange and growth. As a children’s theatre group, one of the main challenges we have faced is securing adequate funding,” she said. She explained that over the past two years, they participated in the Reeds Festival in Eswatini and the SAFE festival in Zimbabwe.
However, she pointed out that finding financial support to cover their expenses had been a significant hurdle for them. She stated that they were continuously seeking opportunities and assistance to overcome that challenge and ensure the sustainability and growth of the group. Speaking of what sets their group apart from other local groups, she said it was their dedicated focus on theatre, particularly children’s art.
While many groups in the country primarily concentrate on traditional dance forms, Mosekiemang said they chose to specialise in the realm of theatre. She said that unique focus allowed them to bring engaging and immersive theatrical experiences specifically tailored for children, providing them with a platform to explore their creativity, imagination, and storytelling abilities in a vibrant and dynamic way.
Furthermore, Mosekiemang explained that theatre was important for children as it nurtured their creativity, developed their communication skills, and exposed them to diverse cultures and historical awareness. She added that their plays were themed in a way that helped children understand their history as Batswana and things that made them stand out as a country. For example, one of their plays Melodi and Kgori brings light to the importance of the conservation of Botswana’s bird, the Kgori. “This year we have been chosen to participate in an Art festival in Tanzania.
The festival is set for October 2023, and we are hoping to get support in terms of funding to ensure that we continue to nurture and grow the talent of our children, whilst putting our country on the map.
Children Botswana Art Group is a performance art group based in Gaborone. It was established in 2019 but due to COVID-19, we stopped and resumed after the pandemic. Our group consists of 25 school-going children aged between six to 18 years,” she said.
She also said the initiative was supported by Kgosi Seeletso Pule of Gabane who gave them permission to use the Gabane Kgotla for rehearsals every Sunday. She further said they were short of resources to stage their plays and continue with rehearsals for refreshments and looking for sponsors or partners.