AFRICA VOICES NOW! 2026
Returning to Harare from 17 October to 6 November 2026
Almasi Collaborative Arts, Zimbabwe’s leading dramatic arts organisation - today announced the 2026 edition of Africa Voices Now!, its annual festival of new African plays, returning to the Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre in Harare from 17 October to 6 November 2026.
This year’s festival will present three brand new Zimbabwean plays in rotation, offering audiences a first look at original work that will undoubtedly become part of the year’s wider cultural conversation.
This year’s play lineup includes; 30 Acres by our 2026 NAMA Award-winning playwright Tatenda Mutyambizi, Shards by Cynthia Marangwanda, and Quixotic by Tawanda Vombo. Together, the three works offer a vivid and wide-ranging portrait of contemporary Zimbabwean life from land, legacy, existential crisis and youth culture.
Almasi’s ethos is built around the Zimbabwean philosophy of Kudzidza Hakuperi - learning never ends, and through training with the top artists from around the globe and intensive development, Almasi seeks to “Bring the African narrative to the Global Stage." African Voices Now is a crucial component of that ambition.
The 2026 announcement follows the breakthrough public success of the inaugural Africa Voices Now! festival in 2025, which brought Almasi’s long-standing developmental work into the public eye and earned two prestigious National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA): Outstanding Director for Leonard Matsa’s direction of Can We Talk? By NAMA Award-winning poet Batsirai Chigama and Outstanding Playwright for Tatenda Mutyambizi’s These Humans Are Sick. The first edition of the festival also demonstrated real audience demand, with sold-out performances at the 60-seat Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre and an additional showing of Can We Talk? added to meet demand. Can We Talk? is now in planning for a New York production at the prestigious Public Theatre.
That momentum continues in 2026 with the return of NAMA-winning playwright Tatenda Mutyambizi, whose new play 30 Acres is developed by Almasi and directed by Almasi’s 2017 Walter Muparutsa Fellow Gideon J. Wabvuta (also Almasi’s Director of Programs). Also on the lineup are Almasi Developed plays, Shards by Cynthia Marangwanda, directed by Almasi’s 2015 Walter Muparutsa Fellow Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi (Almasi’s Community Outreach Coordinator) and Quixotic by Tawanda Vombo, directed by Tadziyana David Bvumbe.
More than a festival, Africa Voices Now! is the culmination of months of rigorous artistic development. This year’s cohort has trained under internationally acclaimed theatre-makers:
Adam Immerwahr, Theater Director, Producer and Artistic Director (Directing & Stage Management, April 20 to 2 May 2026)
Scott Miller, distinguished professor at NYU’s Tisch Graduate Acting Program and founder of the mVm, Miller Voice Method® (Acting & Voice Intensive, 13 to 25 July 2026)
Tony Award-winning director Rebecca Taichman (Directing Workshop, 7 to 21 August 2026)
The selected AVN plays have been developed through year-long Almasi facilitation and programming including:
Almasi African Playwrights Conference, facilitated by Ngozi Anyanwu, Award Winning Playwright & Actor Mara Isaacs, Creative Producer & Almasi Programs Director, Gideon Wabvuta (8 to 20 December 2025)
Almasi Writers Retreat (March 2026)
Almasi New Play Collective, facilitated by Gideon Wabvuta (May 2026 to present)
ReWrite Masterclass facilitated by Stephen Belber,award-winning playwright, screenwriter, & director (13 to 25 July 2026)
From writing labs to staged performances, Almasi continues to invest in the full creative journey.
The Africa Voices Now! Festival offers Zimbabweans a unique opportunity to enjoy world-class, home-grown artistic productions first, right before they take to the global stage.
Full Lineup of 2026 Plays
30 Acres by Tatenda Mutyambizi, directed by 2017 Walter Muparutsa Fellow Gideon J. Wabvuta
Tete Getty, a UK returnee seeking a peaceful retirement in her village, finds herself at the centre of a battle between a large corporation and the local community. Will she preserve her family's legacy, or is the cost of fighting corporate exploitation higher than loyalties to ancestral inheritance?
Shards by Cynthia Marangwanda, directed by 2015 Walter Muparutsa Fellow Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi
Mhepo is a literary star on the rise with a debut novel about to launch, a prestigious prize nomination, and a doting father who supports her work. But when a character escapes the page to haunt her, Mhepo is plunged into an existential crisis. Must she sacrifice her long-held ambitions to save her soul?
Quixotic by Tawanda Vombo, directed by Tadziyana David Bvumbe
An aspiring Zim Dancehall star, 2 Raw thinks he has his life figured out: he has a loving partner, a baby on the way, and a music competition that promises a bright future. However, his mentor Bhema faces a crisis when his estranged biological son, 2 Raw’s ex best friend, returns from prison. Caught between his father figure and this interloper, 2 Raw must decide what he is willing to risk.
highlights from avn! 2025
Speaking on the announcement, Almasi Collaborative Arts Associate Artistic Director, Zaza Muchemwa said:
“The Africa Voices Now! Festival (AVN) plays an irreplaceable role in advancing Zimbabwe's dramatic arts sector. By facilitating high-level artistic training and nurturing new African dramatic works, AVN addresses a critical need within the creative ecosystem. Almasi's second edition of the festival continues this transformative work, offering significant professional development pathways for local talent and exposing Zimbabwean audiences to high-calibre performance art. Through this vision, Almasi is enriching lives and safeguarding the future of African dramatic arts. We invite you to join us in supporting this vital initiative.”
Almasi co-founder and Executive Artistic Director Danai Gurira said:
“I am thrilled for our lineup of plays for AVN 2026. We at Almasi continue to pour into local talent and the fruits of the labour have never been more evident. These writers are bringing to the audience a fresh, new, insightful and incisive look at the stories of our people. We have worked year-round with them and top level artists, who have graciously come to Zimbabwe to teach and mentor our talent. Our playwrights have worked tremendously hard in our process, a process known for its rigour. We are energised here at Almasi by the progress made, and are excited to continue striving to bring the African narrative to the global stage. You won’t want to miss this.“
For potential sponsors, Africa Voices Now! 2026 offers an opportunity to align with a proven creative pipeline, a respected and leading dramatic arts institution, and a festival that has already demonstrated public demand. Organisations interested in arts partnerships, brand alignment, or cultural support are encouraged to reach out to explore sponsorship opportunities.