Zimfest News Blog

August Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the August 4th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

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
Tagged With:
2 Comments — Comments Are Open Post Your Reply

July Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the July 14th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

June Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the June 9th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

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

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: , ,
2 Comments

May Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the May 19th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

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!

  1. Email Jennifer at: jennifer(dot)kyker{at}gmail(dot)com
  2. 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:

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

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

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.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

February Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the February 11th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

December and January Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the December 10th and January 14th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

LAST CHANCE for a 2023 tax-deductible donation!

Do you want to support Zimfest? Of course you do! Every time you participate in Zimfest you enjoy and experience the fantastic music and culture of Zimbabwe without having to travel to Africa. Think about all the money you have saved on airfare, and consider donating some of it to keep Zimfest going strong for years to come.

The engine that drives the Festival is the Zimfest Association. It consists of a team of dedicated volunteers who put the Festival together. We bring Zimbabwean teachers and artists here to share their music and culture through teaching and performing. Our community is enriched in so many ways, and we are able to provide financial support to Zimbabwean teachers and artists.

A healthy Zimfest Association has the means to provide financial support to Zimbabwean teachers and artists during non-Festival years, too, by presenting online programming. Your support can help provide these opportunities.

Your support also is important for the health of the organization itself, which still incurs fixed operational expenses in non-Festival years. Donations at this time will also help cover the 2023 Festival deficit.

Please consider giving your support to Zimfest Association by giving an end of year tax deductible here.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
No Comments

November Board Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the November 12th meeting of the Zimfest Association Board of Directors have been posted.

Posted In: Zimfest Association News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments