Performance Arts in Zimbabwe: Setting the Agenda for Peace and Development

Abstract

Using purposively selected works of Zimbabwean artists posted on YouTube, and the public comments on this content, this article demonstrates the agenda-setting capabilities of performance artists, particularly those anchored on theatre, music and poetry. It does this by analysing how the artists set the agenda for peace, economic equity, political justice, social harmony and development in Zimbabwe. The paper notes that performance arts have been vital cogs in supporting and strengthening interventions aimed at achieving peace and development in the country. On the other hand, the comments section on social media sites was viewed as a ‘public space’ where people ‘converge’ to share their thoughts on various issues affecting them as raised by artists. Using document analysis and social media for observational data, this article argues that artists are critical in contributing to the peacebuilding discourse in Zimbabwe through putting important governance issues on the public agenda. The onus is on the authorities and other development partners to use this information to address the needs and the plight of the masses as a prerequisite for conflict transformation.