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Posts Tagged "volunteering"

Afterglow of Zimfest 2025

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News — No Comments ↓

Greetings,

Thanks to all the Zimfest organizers, volunteers, Zimbabwean guests, teachers and performers for the wonderful time at Zimfest at CWU in Ellensburg! Before all the memories fade,

  • Please complete the Post-festival survey linked to the website. Let us know what was good about this year’s festival and location; how we can improve? We’d like to hear your comments whether you attended or not!
  • If the festival inspired you to want to help out, we want to hear from you now! Go to the Why and How to Volunteer page on the website, and you will see an expandable list of ongoing volunteer needs on the right-hand sidebar. Select what you are interested in or proficient at by filling out the Volunteer Contact form at the bottom of the page. Pressing “Send” creates a permanent listing in Cognito Forms. The next Zimfest will not take place until 2027,  but there is plenty of work to be done leading up to it!
  • If you have the time and depth of interest to commit to meeting monthly to be involved in making Zimfest decisions and determining Zimfest policies, consider joining the Zimfest Association Board of Directors. Check out the Board Recruitment page and write a letter to the board expressing your interest.

We hope to hear from all of you!
Claire and the Zimfest organizers

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Final Pre-ZF Message

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News — No Comments ↓

Hello all,

The Zimfest excitement (and logistical issues) are building! Latest developments and reminders:

  • Those who missed the registration deadline and have inquired about whether dorm rooms will be available to rent on-site, your wish has been granted! There were seven remaining rooms, all doubles, that had not been rented. We are still working out the details with CWU, so check with Zimfest Registration desk starting Thursday at noon – check the Festival Schedule for registration hours. The price for these rooms may turn out to be higher because of the late date.
  • The description for the Session 4 workshop Exploring Mbira DzaVadzimu taught by Lino Piloto initially stated that it would be taught in G-tuning mbira-s. This is incorrect, it will be taught in Magaya standard tuning mbira. A number of Magaya tuning mbiras will be provided; you are welcome to bring one if you can.
  • The weather report for the first day of Zimfest 2025 shows a moderate temperature of 75 and wind; a reminder to vendors to weigh down your canopies (no staking allowed) and campers to fully secure their tents. Heading into the weekend, more typical hotter temperatures are forecast, peaking on Sunday into the 90s! A reminder to bring your sunscreen and water bottles – stay hydrated!

Here’s a preview of what is in store from the Zimfest Marketplace Booth – custom-designed Zimfest 2025 tunics!

See you soon in Ellensburg!

Festival Coordinator Claire and the OC

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Zimfest Volunteers and News

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News — No Comments ↓

We L-O-V-E our volunteers*!

L-ive the life of a helper
O-pen your heart as you share the work
V-olunteer to show you care
E-veryone can do it!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all who have signed up to volunteer. For those who haven’t yet, we need your help! We are still looking for folks who can join in with “many hands make light work” during Zimfest 2025.

We are in urgent need of volunteers to sign up for Thursday and Friday morning:
-Thurs:  Workshop Instrument and General Festival set-up
-Fri: Workshop Support and Marketplace set-up
* Credit and thank you to former Volunteer Coordinator Ev Keller for the “LOVE-Many Hands” image! 

Festival Reminders and Tips

  • Registration closes for Workshops and Volunteer Sign-up at 11 PM on July 28: no changes until August 7 onsite
  • Take note of Housing Check-in times with CWU Conference Services. If you are not able to be there for the listed check-in times, please arrange for someone to sign in on your behalf. If you cannot find someone to sign for you, write to housing[at]zimfest[dot]org to make arrangements for key and meal pass pickup.
  • Note from CWU housing: Sleeping room access is not guaranteed before 3 PM on day of arrival. If rooms are ready before 3, participants will be noticed during check-in.
  • If you are signed up for Zimfest camping and are arriving on Wednesday before Zimfest registration opens, please write to housing[at]zimfest[dot]org to make arrangements to pick up your camping pass.
  • Remember that the CWU dorms we are in are NOT air-conditioned! Bring your fans! The SURC and academic buildings in which workshops are taking place are air-conditioned, however.

Two weeks until Zimfest 2025! Woo-hoo!
Claire and the OC

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Deadline July 17 for Zimfest Housing, Meals and Marketplace

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Howdy Zimfest-ers,

  • Registration for dorm rooms and pre-purchased meal plans will close midnight (PDT) on Thursday, July 17. There are still double rooms available in the main CWU dorm Alford-Montgomery, but we cannot guarantee that CWU housing will be able to release any for walk-ins at the festival. Participants will not be able to purchase meal plans onsite, but must pay with credit cards in the Homes Dining Hall. 
  • Vendor applications for the African Marketplace will also close on July 17. Those who apply after the deadline will be charged a late fee and may not be able to request any tables and/or chairs.

Zimfest Tips and Requests

  • Registration for Workshops closes July 28. It is too late to request a private group (marimba) workshop, but if you are one or two people unable to get into an mbira workshop that interests you, you may be able to approach the individual teacher and set up a mutually agreeable time for private instruction. If you do not request the use of any of the Zimfest workshop rooms, you will not need to involve Zimfest personnel in setting it up. Do remember that most Zimbabweans are here on B1/2 visitor’s visas, and can only receive donations/tips for teaching.
  • Volunteer Sign-ups also close July 28. We thank all who have signed up after our discovery and announcement that the volunteer system had been hacked with many fake names. We have many set-up needs if you plan to come on Thursday during the day. Please help us out with Signage, Workshop Instrument Set-up or General Festival Set-up if you are available to help.
  • Drums Needed! In addition to the set of Zimfest drums used in group drumming workshops, many teachers request single drums in their marimba or dance workshops. If you can lend Zimfest a hand drum or congas, please let the Workshops Support team know by writing teachers[at]zimfest[dot]org. Bring them to the registration area on Thursday, and you will be able to pick them up after the completion of workshops Sunday afternoon or Monday.

Enjoy the summer weather,

Festival Coordinator Claire and the Zimfest Team

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Zimfest Volunteers Needed

Posted on by Larry Israel Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

We were celebrating the nearly filled volunteer signup sheet. But two days ago we discovered that most of the volunteer sign-ups are fake!

We have removed the fakes from the sign-up page, which leaves only 30% of the shifts filled. We are in desperate need for festival-goers to volunteer. There are lots of open shifts. Please sign up now on the Volunteer Sign-Up.

All the volunteer names looked real enough so we didn’t notice the problem. I should have discovered it sooner as many had questionable phone numbers and email addresses. We decided to manually compare the volunteer names with the names of festival registrants (they are two separate systems).

We have deleted all those who volunteered with names that are not registered as Zimfest 2025 attendees. And we’ve added a captcha to help secure the volunteer signup form.

If you signed up to volunteer, please look for your name on the sign-up page. Your sign-up(s) may have been removed in error. If so, please sign up again; or send an email to volunteers (at) zimfest(dot)org so that we can restore your sign-up. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

Thank you for volunteering! Your help and generosity make Zimfest possible.

Volunteer Now

Larry Israel
Zimfest website maintainer

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Zimfest News and Workshop Changes

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear all,

We are happy to announce that all the Zimbabweans traveling to Zimfest from Africa have had their visas approved! Not everyone has gotten their passport back with the visa in it yet, so travel plans are still on hold for some.

  • As registration has continued to go well, we have made some adjustments to the workshop schedule. We have increased maximum enrollments for some that were full or nearly so, and added three new workshops, two of which are repeats of popular ones. See the Workshop Changes webpage for specific changes. If you have already registered and want to take advantage of some of the changes, consult Making Changes to your Registration on the How to Register page.
  • We are starting to advertise Zimfest 2025 in the Ellensburg area, and there is interest in this town that is new to Zimbabwean music and dance! We have made sure there are spaces in beginner and introductory workshops for people new to the festival.
  • We are heartened to see that Volunteer signups are ongoing. The Volunteer coordinators wish to remind you to keep track of what you have signed up to do, and during the festival, show up at the designated place on time (no-shows were a problem in 2023)! If you haven’t yet signed up for one or more volunteer shifts, please consider these specific needs: festival set-up and decorations on Thursday; and take down and clean-up Sunday and Monday.
  • Applications for Marketplace Vendors are going slowly. We know there are more of you out there – please do not wait until the last minute (applications will close July 17)!

Enjoy the summer weather!
Zimfest Coordinator Claire Jones

Zimfest 2023 photo by Rob Saecker

You can view this and other photos in the Zimfest 2023 slideshow from most webpages with a sidebar.

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Zimfest Registration is Open!

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings all,

We are so pleased to announce that registration for Zimfest 2025 is open as of midnight May 1 for Zimfest Association members, and May 3 for non-members. Non-members will pay a $15 registration fee (which is waived for paying members).

  • Go to the How to Register page on the website for complete instructions and a link to the registration system (RegFox).  There you will be able to take out a new membership or verify your existing membership number in order to register and pay for housing at our host university, tent camping, meal plans, workshops and concert tickets.
  • The Zimfest website gives information about On- and Off-Campus housing as well as Dining, Concerts, Festival events and so forth. Browse the website so that you know what you want to sign up for before registering. 
  • You can view details about workshops and teachers in the Workshops menu on our website. The Workshop Grid is now visible, a convenient look at the workshop schedule throughout the weekend.
  • Housing in the Central Washington University dorms we have been allocated is mostly in double rooms, so you may wish to take advantage of our Roommate Request Board if you have rented a room and need someone to share with. As festival time gets closer, you may wish to use the Ride Board to find someone to share gas costs with. 
  • And last, but certainly not least, be sure to sign up for one or more volunteer shifts on the Volunteer Sign-up page. Zimfest runs on volunteer energy, and we all need to pitch in!

A Big Thank You to the Tech Committee, namely Jake Roberts for setting up our registration system, Nora Holmquist for creating the teachers and workshops portal display, and Larry Israel for building and maintaining the Zimfest website. 

Best regards,
Festival Coordinator Claire

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Zimfest Updates

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings all,

Some Zimfest updates now that we are starting to work on the 2025 festival:

  • Good news! We have been able to secure ample space for Zimfest campers at the Kittitas Valley Event Center (Ellensburg Rodeo grounds!), within walking distance of our 2025 festival site at Central Washington University. These inexpensive dry camping (tents only) sites will help ease the need for housing given the low-ish number of campus dorm rooms allocated to us by CWU. Campers will be able to register and pre-pay for space through Zimfest registration, scheduled to open in early May.
  • We have updated the Virtual Marketplace on our website in time for the holiday shopping season. Support our Zimbabwean vendors! If you are an online vendor for Zimbabwean goods and want to be listed, please contact us at marketplace [at]zimfest[dot]org.
  • Plea for Volunteers for the Organizing Committee (OC): As you know, Zimfest depends on volunteer help. One of the most important volunteers is the person(s) who recruits and manages all those who donate their time:
    • Volunteer Coordinator(s)!  We are badly in need of someone (or ones) to step up and replace our wonderful VC from the past three years. No experience necessary, just some willingness to work and people skills!
    • Concert Production: I have only recently heard that our very efficient and experienced Concert Producers will not be available for set-up tasks before the festival this year.
    • These are both big gaps in the OC. Please write claire[at]zimfest[dot]org for more information and/or to raise your hand!

Enjoy the holiday season,

Claire J.
Zimfest Coordinator

Music Dancing Across Borders

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Call for ZA Volunteers

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfest community!
Despite our long silence, members of the Zimfest Association Board want you to know we are busy making plans for the next couple of years and working on various projects. We need your help, even (especially!) if we will not be producing an in-person festival in 2024. Can you:

  • Edit Zimfest video and audio recordings and post to social media?
  • Research funding sources and/or write grant applications on behalf of ZA?
  • Help out with the Zimfest website?

Check out the Why and How to Volunteer webpage for a list of needed and hoped-for volunteer tasks. Fill out the Volunteer Contact form on the bottom of the page to indicate your skills, interest and availability.

Heads-up!
The Support Zimfest page has been updated with new ways to support ZA, including online shopping with goodshop.com and igive.com.

We are working on updating the Virtual Marketplace in time for the holiday shopping season. If you know of anyone selling Zimbabwean crafts who might like to listed on this page, please let us know at marketplace{at}zimfest{dot}org.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Claire Jones and the Zimfest Board

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Zimfest Registration Notes

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfesters,

The OC worked hard to get Zimfest Registration open at midnight May 1 as advertised! Those of us up late saw many new members registering for their preferred rooms and workshops. We have a few additional pointers for you:

  • Once you have registered as directed and received your invoice/verification, you will notice it lists all concert prices whether or not you purchased concert tickets. Not to worry, it doesn’t mean you have been charged for tickets you didn’t buy, it is just a quirk of the registration system.
  • If you have registered and would like to change or add to it,  you will need to go to the Registration Manager and claim your account. See detailed instructions under Making Changes to Your Registration on the How to Register page. Be forewarned that there will be short wait times after logging in and after selecting a registrant to view or to edit.
  • We have now published the concert schedule as it currently exists, to help you plan your days between workshops and hanging out at the Outdoor Stage and Marketplace area.
  • And don’t forget to sign up for volunteer shifts once you know your schedule! Volunteers make Zimfest go!

Happy May Day,
Zimfest Coordinator Claire

Music Dancing Across Borders

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Zimfest Volunteers – We Need You

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Posted on behalf of Ev Keller, Volunteers Coordinator:

Zimfest is: 
 
Z-imbabwean culture and music learning/listening opportunities
I-n a welcoming and supportive setting
M-aking meaningful and memorable moments
F-un for families, friends, fellow music lovers
E-veryone volunteers!! 
S-haring the good vibes
T-ogether crossing borders and taking flight in the experience
 
Please, take a moment to check out the (many) volunteer opportunities where you can lend a hand to help make light work for all. The sign-up link is here. We need YOU to make this a successful festival. Thank you for joining us – we appreciate you! ~Ev

And some alerts from Webmaster Larry Israel:

  • The Zimfest Ride Board has now been published – set up your ride sharing to and from the festival
  • Explore the evening and afternoon concert schedules for recent changes
  • And Festival Updates for workshop changes and additions

Till next time,
Zimfest 2022 OC

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Zimfest 2021 Updates – Workshop Registration is Open

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

Zimfest 2021 is less than two weeks away, taking place from July 30 to August 1. The Organizing Committee has been hard at work and has the following updates for you:

  • The Festival Schedule gives an outline of activities for the weekend. Detailed lineups will be posted soon.
  • See Festival Overview for an introduction to the amazing performers and presenters who will be joining us online on Facebook Live.
  • Live Participatory Workshops will take place on Zoom; registrations are required and donations requested. Workshop descriptions, teacher biographies and a link to the registrations are here. 
  • The 2021 Virtual Marketplace is now open, featuring vendors and importers selling instruments and wares made by Zimbabweans.
  • Emcees needed: why not get a buddy to hold a viewing party with you, enjoy the show for a 2 to 3 hour block of time, and get paid to engage with the music together! Write to volunteers{at}zimfest{dot}org for info. 

Zimfest mourns the loss of Gwenyambira Matemai Newton Cheza-Chozengwa, who passed away on Saturday. We extend our condolences to his family and friends, and all the mbira lovers whose hearts he touched. Enjoy the recording of Matemai singing with Rattletree Marimba at Zimfest 2009 on our homepage (lower left corner).

Zimfest Organizing Committee

Zimfest 2021: A Quilt of Local Events… Stitched Together

 

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