Announcing The Inaugural Walter Muparutsa Artist Of Excellence Fellowship
“It gives me great pleasure to announce Tafadzwa Mutumbi as the first recipient of the Walter Muparutsa Fellowship for Artists of Excellence”
ALMASI ARTS GRANTS THE FIRST WALTER MUPARUTSA FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTS OF EXCELLENCE TO TAFADZWA BOB MUTUMBI
We at Almasi are deeply pleased to announce Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi as our first recipient of the Almasi Walter Muparutsa Fellowship for Artists of Excellence. His abilities, dedication and excellence made this selection an obvious one. We truly believe in his future and that at heart he clearly exemplifies the committed, pioneering spirit of the late Mr Muparutsa. This fellowship allows Tafadzwa to return to the US and enter a Masters Program at the Del’ Arte International school for Physical theater, where he has already received a partial scholarship. We are thrilled that he will now be able to complete his studies and actualize his considerable potential.
Executive Artistic Director, Almasi Arts
Walter Muparutsa was a guru in Zimbabwe's theatre industry; a founding father. Over the years and for many years he was involved in numerous theatre related activities imbued with social awareness. He fearlessly battled societal issues through his craft. He worked with countless institutions and festivals such as the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, Harare International Festival of the Arts – HIFA, Chimanimani Arts Festival, Manica Arts Fest, UNDP Artists Against Poverty Programme, Global Arts Trust, Pamberi Trust, Media for Development International Inc (Colorado, USA), to name a few.
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ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP
This fellowship is awarded to exceptional dramatic artists living in Zimbabwe. The fellowship is designed to ease the economic stress of every day life and allow an artist the freedom to develop their craft in the Dramatic Arts and focus on their creative output for the duration of the grant period. This fellowship is also awarded to exceptional Zimbabwean artists who have a financial need and an educational opportunity awaiting them in the United States. Recipients must exemplify Mr Muparutsa's excellence in this field, as well as his pioneering spirit.
“I am really honored and blessed to be the first recipient of the fellowship. I really would like to thank Almasi Collaborative Arts for granting me the Walter Muparutsa Fellowship. I shall die trying to make sure that they won’t regret making this investment in my craft, my talent, my skills, my passion and my purpose”
MEET MUSHAMISI KAHARI
Almasi Collaborative Arts is pleased to introduce our Managing Director, Mushamisi Kahari. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Mushamisi attended St Johns College in Harare before going to the United States in 2001 for undergraduate studies. While there he earned two bachelors degrees and a minor in fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); the primary being Communication Arts (Commercial Arts), the secondary being Sculpture and Extended Media with a Minor in Painting in Printmaking. While pursuing education in the United States in 2002 he accumulated experience as a patent illustrator and researcher for potential applications. After graduation he continued working for the VCU Resident Education Department as a Graduate assistant. He then worked for Envision EMI as a Faculty Advisor for the 2008 Presidential Inaugural Youth Conference and the Global Young Leaders Conference in the same year. Musha then returned to his family’s law practice in Zimbabwe. His training in the United States, paired with the practice's legal resources, allowed him to act as a consultant to clients within the Fine Art and Commercial Art community. In that time he also earned a Masters in Intellectual Property from Africa University in Mutare. He returned to VCU in 2013 for graduate studies in Art Education and gained experience working with students from Kindergarten to High school using a variety of platforms including digital media. He has since returned to Zimbabwe to helm Almasi’s operations. We, at Almasi, welcome him and are excited by what his unique brand of abilities will bring the organization. "Almasi is leading the charge in what history will describe as a new era in the Zimbabwean dramatic arts. I am honored that I will have an opportunity to contribute to this movement." ~ Mushamisi Kahari
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