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Mbira maestro Hope Masike is in the South Korean capital, Seoul, where she is attending a cultural management and administration training programme under Korea’s Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI). She joins some 44 other cultural colleagues from the African continent, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America who are receiving advanced training and exchanging experiences designed to enhance their capacities to strengthen the cultural industries in their respective countries.
CPI is an international cultural cooperation initiative supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and, according to its website, aims to enhance participants’ ability to design and implement cultural projects “and build global partnerships which will contribute to strengthening the cultural industry”.
Appointed Honorary Cultural Ambassador for Korea-Zimbabwe Relations early this year at celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Zimbabwe, Masike arrived at CPI this week for the three-week intensive course. She said she was pleasantly surprised to find another Zimbabwean, Peter Chiridza, a Language, Communication and Journalism lecturer at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), attending the programme. Her class includes participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.
Speaking from Seoul about her expectations, Masikesaid, “Apart from learning about management and administration of culture and art as an industry the programme comes at an opportune time when I am preparing to launch ‘The 7 of Us’, so I am looking forward to acquiring the requisite skills for both my career and my contribution to Zimbabwean arts and culture.”
The 7 of Us is a foundational mentorship initiative for young women and girls which has the objective of empowering them to navigate their creative careers alongside life’s challenges, with focused intent. It adds to Masike’s growing repertoire of initiatives through which she can use her talent, skills and networks to contribute meaningfully to the cultural landscape of the country. Already fighting for the fortunes of musicians and cultural actors through her membership on the boards of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA), the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and the Alliance Francaise de Harare, Masike is putting the finishing touches to the concept of The 7 of Us with the help of partners. She plans to launch it as an annual programme on her birthday in early September.
Hope Masike, singer, songwriter, painter, and poet, is a Zimbabwean artist who plays the mbira, Zimbabwe’s unique traditional instrument. She has four studio albums and four poetry books to her name. Her current album, Anotida, was released this March and is available on all major platforms.
