Minutes from the November 11th, December 9th, and January 13th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted. We apologize for these minutes being posted late.
Zimfest News Blog
Posts Tagged "Board of Directors"
Zimfest Sunday Concert Special
Dear Zimfest community,
This message addresses a shared complaint and request from the Zimfest 2018 survey, and our response to it. Be sure to read through to the end!
Several people have expressed the desire to see more Zimbabweans performing on the evening stage at Zimfest. We want you to be aware that there is a legal reason that not all the visiting Zimbabweans can perform at our ticketed concerts. The type of US visa (B-1 business/pleasure) granted to many of the Zimbabweans (and Canadians!) traveling to Zimfest does not allow the visa holder to perform in a concert for which admission is charged. Zimfest cannot include B-1 visa holders on the ticketed evening stage lineups; it would risk the visa status of these visitors, as well as the co-sponsoring status of the Zimfest Association and our host institution (WOU).
Our plan for Zimfest 2019 is to make the Sunday evening concert on August 11, 2019 free admission, by donation only. Like the afternoon concerts at the festival, there will be no restrictions as to who may perform, so we hope to include some of Zimbabweans you’ve been missing (take note, Zimbabwean applicants!). In order to make this work, we need your help as audience members. We cannot afford to lose money on Sunday evening, so we ask that you donate the same amount that tickets cost for the Friday and Saturday ticketed concerts: currently $18 in advance, $20 onsite for adults.
If having a concert “by donation” sounds like the Zimfest workshops that are “by donation,” it is because it is motivated by the same money-earning restrictions on B-1 visa holders. Any instruction or musical demonstration offered by these individuals must be free and open to the public. This is explained in more detail on the website here (see Workshops by Donation). As with the “by donation” workshops, it is our hope that you understand that donating the full amount supports Zimfest’s ability to bring these musicians to the festival. It is disappointing for us to see people donating relatively small amounts for children taking workshops, or American teachers signing up for workshops from Zimbabweans. We appeal to you as a community to help us out on this with your generous donations.
It will be many weeks before we know who will be coming to Zimfest this year, but we wanted to let you know of these plans in advance so that you can make your own plans accordingly. We promise the Sunday evening concert at Zimfest 2019 will be very special – you won’t want to miss out!
Until next time,
Claire Jones
On behalf of the Zimfest 2019 OC and ZA Board of Directors
Zimfest 2019 – Music Dancing Across Borders
Posted In: Festival News
6 Comments
Introducing the Zimfest Code of Conduct
Dear Zimfest community,
This year’s post-festival survey included two separate comments alleging sexual misconduct or assault either at the festival or elsewhere by persons known to the Zimfest community. The Zimfest Association Board of Directors takes these allegations seriously and wishes to follow up on them. In the interest of facilitating safe and non-threatening environments at future festivals, the ZA Board has generated a policy statement addressing sexual and other forms of harassment: the Zimfest Code of Conduct. The purpose of the Code, which applies to all Zimfest participants (including performers, teachers, volunteers, staff, and other attendees), is to ensure that the festival is an inclusive, welcoming, and safe space free from harassment and/or abuse. All Zimfest applicants will be requested to read the form and share with band mates or others for whom they are applying. The Zimfest Code appears here on the website.
The Code includes options for reporting complaints of sexual and other harassment. The ZA Board has followed up with one of the respondents who made sexual abuse allegations within the 2018 festival survey. The second comment was totally anonymous, and we have no idea who the complainant is, or the alleged perpetrator or the alleged victim. If you or someone you know made the anonymous comment and wishes to provide further information, please call or email any of the individuals designated to receive complaints in the “Reporting harassment and other complaints” section of the Code.
Thanks for your attention. We will have more feedback on the 2018 festival survey in the coming weeks along with news about the 2019 festival. Look forward to applications for Zimfest coming online on January 2!
On behalf on the Zimfest Board,
Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
Music Dancing Across Borders
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
October Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the October 14th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Village Meeting and September Board Meeting Minutes
The Zimfest Association board of directors has posted minutes from the Village Meeting at Zimfest 2018 and the September 9th board meeting.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Announcing Zimfest 2019
Dear Zimfest community,
The Zimfest Association Board of Directors and I are pleased to announce that we will be producing a festival next year! Zimfest 2019 will take place at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, from August 8 to 11. Mark your calendars and make your plans!
When this year’s festival ended, we were unsure whether we had enough committed volunteers to staff an organizing committee (OC) for 2019. It has been very gratifying to see a number of new recruits raise their hands to volunteer, and I have been in touch with almost everyone who wrote to us or signed up at the festival. While we are confident we have enough people onboard for the OC, we still – always – need volunteer help leading up to and/or at the festival. You can always write to volunteers{at}zimfest{dot}org or complete the form at the bottom of the Why and How to Volunteer page.
To those of you who are unable to attend Zimfest on the dates WOU is available to us (the second weekend of August): we are sorry we have not been able to accommodate you and are continuing to seek dates earlier in the summer. We are looking ahead to Zimfest 2020 at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, where we have been promised (fingers crossed) an earlier date. We cannot confirm an exact weekend for Zimfest 2020 however.
Blessings to all, enjoy the fall colors!
Claire (Jones)
Zimfest Coordinator
Posted In: Festival News
No Comments
July Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the July 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
June Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the June 10th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
May Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the May 13th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
April Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the April 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
March Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the March 11th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Letter from the Zimfest Board
Dear Zimfest Community,
We hope you have had an excellent start to the year and that you are looking forward to joining us in Monmouth, OR for Zimfest 2018! The Festival Organizing Committee has been hard at work to create a fun and memorable festival experience for attendees, teachers and performers. We can support them and encourage their work by increasing volunteer participation and raising much-needed funds.
Here are a few ways you can help:
- Volunteer on the Organizing Committee: The Organizing Committee is still in need of volunteers to fill key roles such as Afternoon Stage Manager and Teacher/Workshop Coordinator Assistant. If you are interested, please contact Zimfest Festival Coordinator Claire Jones at claire (at) zimfest (dot)org / 206 328-4011, and/or Volunteer Coordinator Carla Starck at volunteers (at )zimfest (dot) org.
- Contribute to Fundraising Efforts. As a non-profit organization, donations, membership fees, and the funds reserved after each festival are crucial for financing festival expenses.
- Donate in the Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive. This year, we are aiming to raise $8,000 towards the cost of:
- Transportation, room and board for the group of talented Zimbabwean teachers
- Implementing the new festival registration system
- Purchasing marimbas to augment the supply of instruments at the festival
- Leverage Employer Matching programs. Employer matching donation programs are an easy way to maximize the value of your donations.
- Host fundraising events in your local community. Some fun ideas of raising funds in support of Zimfest include benefit concerts, dance parties, dinners and silent auctions. Share your events on the Zimfest Facebook Page so that we can see all the exciting events that are being planned to support Zimfest 2018.
- Sign up for or renew your Zimfest membership. By becoming a member of Zimfest Association, individuals and families can support the long-term viability of Zimfest. https://zimfest.org/about/membership/
- Support Zimfest through other channels. See https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/ for other ways to contribute to the Zimfest Association
As members of our vibrant Zimbabwean music community, we all must contribute the money and volunteer hours that are needed to keep the Zimfest spirit alive and thriving this year and beyond. Your response to this call will help us gauge our ability to host Zimfest 2019, so please show your support. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us at board (at) zimfest (dot) org.
Tatenda/Siyabonga!
Zimfest Association Board
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Zimfest Sunday Concert Special
Dear Zimfest community,
This message addresses a shared complaint and request from the Zimfest 2018 survey, and our response to it. Be sure to read through to the end!
Several people have expressed the desire to see more Zimbabweans performing on the evening stage at Zimfest. We want you to be aware that there is a legal reason that not all the visiting Zimbabweans can perform at our ticketed concerts. The type of US visa (B-1 business/pleasure) granted to many of the Zimbabweans (and Canadians!) traveling to Zimfest does not allow the visa holder to perform in a concert for which admission is charged. Zimfest cannot include B-1 visa holders on the ticketed evening stage lineups; it would risk the visa status of these visitors, as well as the co-sponsoring status of the Zimfest Association and our host institution (WOU).
Our plan for Zimfest 2019 is to make the Sunday evening concert on August 11, 2019 free admission, by donation only. Like the afternoon concerts at the festival, there will be no restrictions as to who may perform, so we hope to include some of Zimbabweans you’ve been missing (take note, Zimbabwean applicants!). In order to make this work, we need your help as audience members. We cannot afford to lose money on Sunday evening, so we ask that you donate the same amount that tickets cost for the Friday and Saturday ticketed concerts: currently $18 in advance, $20 onsite for adults.
If having a concert “by donation” sounds like the Zimfest workshops that are “by donation,” it is because it is motivated by the same money-earning restrictions on B-1 visa holders. Any instruction or musical demonstration offered by these individuals must be free and open to the public. This is explained in more detail on the website here (see Workshops by Donation). As with the “by donation” workshops, it is our hope that you understand that donating the full amount supports Zimfest’s ability to bring these musicians to the festival. It is disappointing for us to see people donating relatively small amounts for children taking workshops, or American teachers signing up for workshops from Zimbabweans. We appeal to you as a community to help us out on this with your generous donations.
It will be many weeks before we know who will be coming to Zimfest this year, but we wanted to let you know of these plans in advance so that you can make your own plans accordingly. We promise the Sunday evening concert at Zimfest 2019 will be very special – you won’t want to miss out!
Until next time,
Claire Jones
On behalf of the Zimfest 2019 OC and ZA Board of Directors
Zimfest 2019 – Music Dancing Across Borders
Posted In: Festival News
6 Comments
Introducing the Zimfest Code of Conduct
Dear Zimfest community,
This year’s post-festival survey included two separate comments alleging sexual misconduct or assault either at the festival or elsewhere by persons known to the Zimfest community. The Zimfest Association Board of Directors takes these allegations seriously and wishes to follow up on them. In the interest of facilitating safe and non-threatening environments at future festivals, the ZA Board has generated a policy statement addressing sexual and other forms of harassment: the Zimfest Code of Conduct. The purpose of the Code, which applies to all Zimfest participants (including performers, teachers, volunteers, staff, and other attendees), is to ensure that the festival is an inclusive, welcoming, and safe space free from harassment and/or abuse. All Zimfest applicants will be requested to read the form and share with band mates or others for whom they are applying. The Zimfest Code appears here on the website.
The Code includes options for reporting complaints of sexual and other harassment. The ZA Board has followed up with one of the respondents who made sexual abuse allegations within the 2018 festival survey. The second comment was totally anonymous, and we have no idea who the complainant is, or the alleged perpetrator or the alleged victim. If you or someone you know made the anonymous comment and wishes to provide further information, please call or email any of the individuals designated to receive complaints in the “Reporting harassment and other complaints” section of the Code.
Thanks for your attention. We will have more feedback on the 2018 festival survey in the coming weeks along with news about the 2019 festival. Look forward to applications for Zimfest coming online on January 2!
On behalf on the Zimfest Board,
Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
Music Dancing Across Borders
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
October Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the October 14th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Village Meeting and September Board Meeting Minutes
The Zimfest Association board of directors has posted minutes from the Village Meeting at Zimfest 2018 and the September 9th board meeting.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Announcing Zimfest 2019
Dear Zimfest community,
The Zimfest Association Board of Directors and I are pleased to announce that we will be producing a festival next year! Zimfest 2019 will take place at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, from August 8 to 11. Mark your calendars and make your plans!
When this year’s festival ended, we were unsure whether we had enough committed volunteers to staff an organizing committee (OC) for 2019. It has been very gratifying to see a number of new recruits raise their hands to volunteer, and I have been in touch with almost everyone who wrote to us or signed up at the festival. While we are confident we have enough people onboard for the OC, we still – always – need volunteer help leading up to and/or at the festival. You can always write to volunteers{at}zimfest{dot}org or complete the form at the bottom of the Why and How to Volunteer page.
To those of you who are unable to attend Zimfest on the dates WOU is available to us (the second weekend of August): we are sorry we have not been able to accommodate you and are continuing to seek dates earlier in the summer. We are looking ahead to Zimfest 2020 at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, where we have been promised (fingers crossed) an earlier date. We cannot confirm an exact weekend for Zimfest 2020 however.
Blessings to all, enjoy the fall colors!
Claire (Jones)
Zimfest Coordinator
Posted In: Festival News
No Comments
July Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the July 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
June Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the June 10th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
May Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the May 13th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
April Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the April 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
March Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the March 11th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
Letter from the Zimfest Board
Dear Zimfest Community,
We hope you have had an excellent start to the year and that you are looking forward to joining us in Monmouth, OR for Zimfest 2018! The Festival Organizing Committee has been hard at work to create a fun and memorable festival experience for attendees, teachers and performers. We can support them and encourage their work by increasing volunteer participation and raising much-needed funds.
Here are a few ways you can help:
- Volunteer on the Organizing Committee: The Organizing Committee is still in need of volunteers to fill key roles such as Afternoon Stage Manager and Teacher/Workshop Coordinator Assistant. If you are interested, please contact Zimfest Festival Coordinator Claire Jones at claire (at) zimfest (dot)org / 206 328-4011, and/or Volunteer Coordinator Carla Starck at volunteers (at )zimfest (dot) org.
- Contribute to Fundraising Efforts. As a non-profit organization, donations, membership fees, and the funds reserved after each festival are crucial for financing festival expenses.
- Donate in the Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive. This year, we are aiming to raise $8,000 towards the cost of:
- Transportation, room and board for the group of talented Zimbabwean teachers
- Implementing the new festival registration system
- Purchasing marimbas to augment the supply of instruments at the festival
- Leverage Employer Matching programs. Employer matching donation programs are an easy way to maximize the value of your donations.
- Host fundraising events in your local community. Some fun ideas of raising funds in support of Zimfest include benefit concerts, dance parties, dinners and silent auctions. Share your events on the Zimfest Facebook Page so that we can see all the exciting events that are being planned to support Zimfest 2018.
- Sign up for or renew your Zimfest membership. By becoming a member of Zimfest Association, individuals and families can support the long-term viability of Zimfest. https://zimfest.org/about/membership/
- Support Zimfest through other channels. See https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/ for other ways to contribute to the Zimfest Association
- Donate in the Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive. This year, we are aiming to raise $8,000 towards the cost of:
As members of our vibrant Zimbabwean music community, we all must contribute the money and volunteer hours that are needed to keep the Zimfest spirit alive and thriving this year and beyond. Your response to this call will help us gauge our ability to host Zimfest 2019, so please show your support. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us at board (at) zimfest (dot) org.
Tatenda/Siyabonga!
Zimfest Association Board
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments
