Nhimbe Trust is a non-profit arts education organization, a leader in cultural policy research, training and advocacy, and in monitoring and campaigning on practices and constraints on freedom of creative expression in Zimbabwe.
Vision
We desire a dynamic creative sector where all children in Zimbabwe are engaged with the arts as practitioners and audience members.
We believe:
• Arts education enables children to attain their right to leisure, play and participation in cultural and artistic activities (UN-CRC Article 31); and their right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice (UN-CRC Article 13).
• Children have the right to be given the opportunity to develop their creativity and the right to express their creativity freely.
• Cultural policy is the foundation for arts education.
• Freedom of expression is fundamental to artistic practice.
• Arts education provides fertile ground for a vibrant artistic community within a supportive general populace.
• Promoting freedom of creative expression is to advance human rights, democracy and a more inclusive cultural identity and society.
Mission
To promote arts education for children that leads to an interest in the arts for life. We strive to achieve this through skills development and the creation of platforms for children to exhibit their creativity and talents in the performing arts, and through advocacy for effective policies that encourage freedom of creative expression.
Our Programme Principles:
• Child centeredness
• Best interests of the child
• The child's opinion
• Child protection and development
• Gender equity
• Measurable impact
• Scalability
• Sustainability
• Efficient use of resources
Child Protection
In Zimbabwe, children are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence, in both emergency and development contexts.
These threats violate children’s rights under international law and affect their physical and psychosocial well-being – critical for meaningful participation in the performing arts and in development – and are exacerbated by poverty, conflict or natural disaster. Nhimbe’s arts education programme strengthens the capacity of children to respond to these threats and creates a protective environment for children through law, policy guidance, service provision, social action, awareness raising and campaigns.
Our strategy places a particular emphasis on ensuring that children involved in our arts education programme, especially orphans and children with disabilities receive appropriate and adequate psychosocial support and care to ensure their meaningful participation.
How we work to impact on the creative sector in Zimbabwe
We will...
...be the voice
Advocate and campaign for better practices and policies to uphold children’s rights, particularly those of children most marginalized or living in poverty, and to ensure that artists’ voices are heard, particularly of those who have no opportunities to engage in meaningful arts education or of those suffering repression and in need of support.
...be the innovator
Develop and test evidence-based, replicable breakthrough solutions to challenges facing arts educators and the broader creative sector.
Forge partnerships
Collaborate with children, civil society organizations, government and funders to ensure children’s rights are met and the status of the artist is improved.
...achieve results at scale
Support effective implementation of good practices, programmes and policies for children and the wider creative sector; leveraging our knowledge to ensure sustainable impact at scale.
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