The 2017 Almasi Walter Muparutsa Artist Of Excellence Fellowship
We are pleased to announce Gideon Wabvuta as the awardee for the Walter Mparutsa Fellowship for the second year. As Gideon continues to pursue his MFA at the highly renowned dramatic writing program at USC, we are thrilled to support him in the completion of this three-year program. Gideon exemplifies what this Fellowship, which honors a founding father of Zimbabwean theater, Walter Mparutsa, seeks to promote. Gideon’s work ethic, pioneering spirit, drive, fearless voice and unrelenting passion make our decision to continue to support his academic pursuits in the US an easy one. Congratulations Gideon, we are excited about the journey ahead and how you will continue to enrich the world with narratives that must be told. Please take a look at Gideon’s self-made video, giving us a peep into his experience at USC thus far.
“I am excited that Gideon Jeph Wabvuta has been awarded the Walter Muparutsa Fellowship Artist of Excellence Award. I am sure he will make it. He is a very good guy. At the same time, I don’t know how to thank Danai. She has been so good by ploughing back into the country.”
ABOUT WALTER MUPARUTSA
Walter Muparutsa was a guru in Zimbabwe's theater industry; a founding father. Over the years and for many years he was involved in numerous theater 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.
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP
The Walter Muparutsa Fellowship is an initiative of Almasi in honor of the late Veteran Zimbabwean Actor, Director, and Producer, Walter Lambert Muparutsa. The fellowship is administered through Almasi Arts Alliance, the sister organization to Almasi Collaborative Arts. The fellowship's purpose is to facilitate African Dramatic Artists of exceptional ability and promise who have economic need with their professional and educational development. This grant provides the artists with an opportunity to focus exclusively on their artistic development and experience relief from everyday expenses over the course of educational and professional programs.