KAMOTO COMMUNITY ARTS

ZUBA Nl MOTO DANCE ENSEMBLE

PROFILE

WHO WE ARE

Kamoto Community Arts (KCA) is a community based Non-Governmental Organisation founded in 1990. It is a theatrical, musical and dance ensemble comprised of 18 full-time members who are school-leavers, Theatre for Development (TFD) practitioners, professional actors and dancers.

As KCA we offer services to communities such as educational outreach programmes and community empowerment projects, and consolidate what we like doing best performing. Through performing, we seek to encourage inter-racial co-operation, cross- cultural understanding and social analysis.

As KCA, we are divided into three components:

• Zuba ni Moto Dance Ensemble - combining dance styles from several Zambian provinces, featuring a blend of traditional and contemporary dance and musical drama,.
• Kamoto Theatre - specialists in TFD, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), and Participatory Performance Practices (PPP), which explore the rich cultural traditions of African customs and rituals,.
• Nthalika Zamoto (which means ‘ firely stories’)- traditional story - telling adapted from the popular forms of education (oral tradition) that help to promote good values and morals and enhance knowledge and learning, originally told round the fireside by parents and grandparents to their children.

KCA is designed to promote, empower, educate and entertain communities at all levels. KCA's plays, dances, songs and stories are structured to address experiences and interests of the communities. This becomes the basis of reflection and social change to encourage active participation and promote cultural awareness and values.

KCA 's dance and theatre ensemble seeks to preserve and share the finest traditions of African dance and music through research, education and entertainment. Drama is an excellent medium to use for conflict resolution, problem analysis and need assessment. By taking people out of their direct situation and engaging them in exciting and instructive drama, they are better placed to see how the imaginary world can be transposed onto their on lives, to help them come up with their own solution to problems.

KCA provides the following services:

• Counselling,
• Performances in drama, dance, song and other Zambian traditional contemporary theatre art forms,
• Advocacy and lobbying,
• Consultancy in participatory methodologies,
• Workshop facilitation,
• Script writing.
• Research

Some of the major activities that KCA has been involved in include:

• Participation in international festivals like Linkfest and SCAPfest Festivals in Zimbabwe ,' Bagamoyo College of the Arts Festival , Tanzania ; /ATM Festivals in Uganda and Mozambique ; American Dance Festival,' and Expo 2000 Germany ;
• Participation in international workshops e.g. Bangladesh and UK ; .:. Tours both locally and internationally e.g. Japan
• Projects in various communities of Zambia and in Mozambique .

KCA raises its funds through the performances and from the services offered to different organisations. This is done through collaboration with other organisations.

KCA has links and partnerships with local and international organisations such as Jubilee Zambia debt project, Zambia Cultural Services, Environmental Conservation Association of Zambia (ECAZ), Women's Lobby Group, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Creative Arts Centre (CAC) UNZA, Zambia Popular Theatre Alliance (ZAPOTA), National Arts Council of Zambia (NAC) and other NGOs.

For more information or otherwise, please contact us on telephone 096-755207or 097-824489 (mobile) or call in person at Roma Community Centre at the corner of Lukanga and Zambezi Roads, Roma Township, Lusaka or at our Community Office in N'gombe compound House # 29/22 opposite Malaveli Bar, Lusaka.