Minutes from the October 13th and November 10th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Zimfest News Blog
Zimfest Updates
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
Posted In: Festival News
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Announcing Zimfest 2025: August 7-10 at CWU
Dear Zimfest community,
At long last, the ZA board and I are happy to announce the dates and location for Zimfest 2025: August 7-10, 2025, at Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg, WA. Mark your calendars! Be forewarned that Zimfest has been allocated a single dorm with only 80% of the number of beds we usually require on-campus, so you may wish to look into nearby motels, Air BnB’s and campgrounds well in advance. More info on these options coming soon!
The Search
We are so sorry that it took us this long to confirm a date, having begun an exhaustive WA State venue search late last year. After contacting many institutions, we have learned that college conference organizers and the administrations that oversee them have been as disturbed by the COVID epidemic as have many other for-profit and not-for-profit entities.
- Conference service fees are higher all around; be prepared to pay more when registering for Zimfest 2025 and future festivals to help us balance the budget.
- Disturbingly, at least two institutions that hosted Zimfest in the past do not want us back for reasons traceable to participant (mis)behavior. This made our search more difficult, and we remind Zimfest-goers that we owe respect and gratitude to our institutional hosts and their efforts, as well their rules (especially regarding alcohol and marijuana use!).
Volunteers Needed
Finally, we will be re-forming our Organizing Committee (OC) to begin work on Zimfest 2025, starting with teacher and performer applications to open in January. As always, we need volunteer help. Here are some needs we know of right now:
- Volunteer Coordinator—active member of the OC, with duties leading up to and during the festival
- Local Arrangements—does not need to meet with the OC, carries out tasks as needed in concert with Festival Coordinator
- Grant Writing and other Fund-Raising—works independently on behalf of the ZA Board
- Other Ongoing Volunteer Needs: see How and Why to Volunteer on the website
You can fill out the Volunteer Contact Form on the website or write directly to claire[at]zimfest[dot]org for info or to put your hand up!
Thanks for reading (apologies for the lengthy post)!
Claire Jones, Zimfest Coordinator
Music Dancing Across Borders
(PS – We limited our site research and evaluation to Washington state this year with the vision of alternating years between Oregon and Washington sites. See here if you are interested in the venues we have researched.
Posted In: Festival News
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September Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the September 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.
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August Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the August 4th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.
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Board Presidential Transition
Dear Zimfest Community,
I am writing to let you know that I am stepping down as the Zimfest Association Board President, effective this month, and that Maria Minnaar Bailey has stepped up as president in an interim capacity! In the short term, Zimfest Association is transitioning to a rotating presidency, as we seek out our next president.
It has been a huge honor to serve as Board President for the last 4 years (and on the Board generally since 2011), but it is time to make room for new talent on the board, and ensure that the organization can grow in a sustainable way. I plan to remain on the board during the transition period.
More generally, the Zimfest Association Board is very short on members at the moment, and we really need your help—either as a potential president, or a general member. Zimfest is required to maintain at least 8 Board members to preserve certain Washington State nonprofit benefits. At the moment, we are very close to this limit.
Although the work of the annual Organizing Committee is more visible to attendees, a strong and vibrant Board is very important to the long-term health of the organization and gives you the opportunity to shape the vision and strategy for the festival, and work with an exceptional group of dedicated Board members.
If you are interested in serving as a Board member:
- Information about applying here
- Presidential job description here
- General Board information, including current members, here
Sincerely,
Alex Weeks
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
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July Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the July 14th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.
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June Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the June 9th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.
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Zimfest Membership Drive, Summer 2024
Dear Zimfest Association members and friends,
We hope this letter finds you well as summer draws ever closer. We are sorry that we won’t be seeing you in person this year at the festival, but we are excited to share a little with you about how things are going. Firstly, we have welcomed several new board members whose fresh perspectives and ambitions are breathing new life into our organization. This new group is working tirelessly to come up with a 5-year plan for the future of Zimfest. We are currently speaking with several different university campuses and other venues in Washington State, working to find the best possible places to host the next festival. Next, we are kicking off our summer membership drive! Many of you are already members and are, no doubt, taking pride in supporting your community. For that, we thank you! Zimfest could not possibly hope to carry on without your support. For those of you who haven’t taken the plunge yet, let us take a moment to tell you about how you can join and what you can expect as a result:
First, simply go to https://zimfest.org/about/membership. Here you will find some information about the various types of memberships we offer. Perhaps you are a struggling student on a budget. Consider signing up under our youth/student membership for just $12.50 per year! Or maybe you are a little more settled and comfortable and want to make a significant contribution to Zimfest. In that case, consider one of our lifetime membership options. Wherever you find yourself in life, we surely have a membership option that is right for you. You can also verify, renew, or change your membership at any time. Please note that your membership will auto-renew after one year unless you uncheck that box on the form. Benefits of Zimfest membership include free registration, early access to workshops, and an unshakeable sense of pride that comes with supporting your community. Already a member? Consider a tax-deductible donation of whatever amount works for you!
Finally, as many of you know, Zimbabwe is facing a crisis of food insecurity. We are asking that you consider donating to one of the non-profit organizations associated with Zimfest in an effort to give back to a country to which we owe so much: Ancient Ways, Humwe, Kutsinhira, Mambira Foundation, and Tariro. You can find them on the African Marketplace page on the Zimfest website. If you are interested in giving to an international organization directly dealing with food insecurity in Zimbabwe, we recommend Care. Additionally, the Global Giving website allows you to filter for non-profit organizations by location and type of assistance provided.
Thank you very much for reading our letter. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Warmly,
—The Zimfest Board
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May Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the May 19th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.
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Online Singing Workshop with Moyo and Jennifer
We are posting this on behalf of Jennifer and Moyo.
Online singing workshop: Todzungaira
Date: Sunday, June 16
Time: 6:00-7:30 EDT / 3:00-4:30 PDT
Cost: By donation (suggested donation on a sliding scale of $15-$40)
Join Moyo Mutamba and Jennifer Kyker for an online singing workshop featuring a soulful set of call-and-response lyrics to the beloved Zimbabwe marimba and mbira song known as Todzungaira. All funds raised from the workshop will support the work of two non-profit organizations: Ubuntu Learning Village (founded by Moyo) and Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans (founded by Jennifer).
The specific lyrics that Moyo and Jennifer will co-teach during this workshop are frequently sung in community at Ubuntu Learning Village. They were also part of Tariro’s winning rendition of Todzungaira at the 2023 National Institute of Allied Arts school music competition!
This workshop will include an online Zoom session, audio and video recordings, and a lyrics sheet. The Zoom session will be recorded and shared with all participants, making it possible to enroll in the workshop even if you cannot attend the Zoom session in person.
Registration is easy!
- Email Jennifer at: jennifer(dot)kyker{at}gmail(dot)com
- Send your donation via PayPal using Jennifer’s phone number: 541-729-2972 or her direct PayPal handle: @jenniferkyker1828
To learn more about the work of Ubuntu Learning Village and Tariro, and/or make an online donation, please visit the organizations’ websites:
- Ubuntu Learning Village: https://www.ubuntuearth.org
- Tariro: https://tariro.org
Please feel free to share news about this workshop with your friends, band members, students, and anyone else who may be interested in attending!
Best wishes,
Jennifer
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March and April Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the March 10th and April 14th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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