In January 2007 the inaugural Sistaz Open Mic was held at the Book Café in Harare under the FLAME programme, addressing the need for a safe, daytime platform for young and emerging women artists, featuring music, poetry, theatre and dance ‘acts’ in the open mic style. Early in the year, poet Linda Gabriel stepped forward as a freelance coordinator and MC, and within the first 8 months it was apparent that the young women artists involved had taken ownership of the programme. Audiences of over 100 fill the venue to capacity at each event.
14 Sistaz Open Mic events were held in 2007 with a total of 185 performing women artists, and 12 established artists played a mentoring role in the programme.
In 2008 Linda Gabriel continued to stage the now popular event successfully with 12 Sistaz Open Mic events, with 290 participating artists altogether in year. Outstanding talent through was Hope Masike, Eyahra Mathazia and Vimbai Zimuto. Several poets grew to acclaim and were invited to perform at prestigious events and festivals beyond this platform. Two out of 8 FLAME workshops were dedicated to young women from the Sisters Open Mic.
In 2009, 12 Sistaz Open Mic events were held, with 263 participating artists. Outstanding talent through the year included singer Kessia Magosha, poet Aura Kawanzaruwa, and violinist Alicia Ashburner, and poet Primrose Dzenga who also published her first book ‘The Unsung Heroine, Auxillia Chimsoro’. Two poets – Roxanne ‘Xapa’ Mathazia and Batsirai Chigama were invited and assisted to the Arts Alive Festival in Johannesburg in September. Of a total of 7 workshops with 119 participants through the year, two were focused for those emerging from Sistaz Open Mic.
In 2010, 12 Sistaz Open Mic events were held, with 387 artists. Outstanding talent through the year was Inkanyezi, Diana Samakange, rapper ‘Blackbird’. The event was expanded from a 3 to 5 hour programme, to give more exposure to a particular featured artist each month. Sisters from the open mic were targeted for 2 out of 7 Workshops in the year (total 144 participants).
The growth of this popular monthly event, held every second Saturday of the month, is a direct result of young artists taking ownership of the project and mentoring by established women artists. The event is fully run by women, including stage management, photography, filming and administration. Word of mouth publicity is strong, and along with supportive family and friends, the audience often includes talent scouts from professional artists, which has led to lucrative work for some.
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| Poetess Wadzanai (Black Pearl) Chiuriri
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