Minutes from the November 10th and December 8th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Zimfest News Blog
Village Meeting and October Board Meeting Minutes
The Zimfest Association board of directors has posted minutes from the Village Meeting at Zimfest 2019 and the October 13th board meeting.
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Applications and Updates
Dear Zimfest community,
A few updates from our hard-working Zimfest organizers:
- The Organizing Committee is eagerly awaiting applications from performers and teachers before the Feb 29 deadline! We need workshops in all categories to allow for a complete menu of offerings beyond marimba and mbira at Zimfest 2020: dance, singing, drumming, hosho, guitar and other instruments, as well as cultural presentations on various topics.
- See this page for details on workshops. Marimba teachers, please keep in mind that we can accept a few workshops of 2.5 hours as requested by intermediate and advanced students. Teachers of dance and hosho are advised that workshops of 1.5 hours work well for many students.
- The Zimfest Association Board of Directors welcomes new board member Drew Turner! Drew was introduced to Zimbabwean-style marimba in Homer, AK and now lives near Ashland, OR. He has also joined the OC as an intern with the Volunteer Coordinators – great to have you, Drew!
- The ZA Board wishes to call your attention to changes in membership categories and fees. Recognizing that many older members of our community are on fixed incomes, the Board has added a new category of membership for seniors 65 years and older, at just $10 a year (more if you can afford it). In addition, the Teacher membership fee, covering a teacher or youth leader plus up to 20 members of their student group, has increased to $100 per year. See the membership page for details and to sign up.
Stay well – musare zvakanaka!
Zimfest Organizing Committee
Zimfest Association Board
Festival Coordinator Claire Jones
Zimfest: Music Dancing Across Borders
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Applications Wanted
Hello Zimfest people,
Just a reminder from the Organizing Committee that applications are open until February 29 for teachers and performers for Zimfest 2020! Please don’t wait until the last minute – your application will stand out from the crowd if you apply now!
And a message from the Tech committee: We are seeking a web graphic design volunteer who has knowledge and experience with WordPress. Help us to maintain and improve the Zimfest website! Write to tech{at}zimfest{dot}org with your contact info and relevant skills.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Zimfest Organizing Committee
Zimfest Tech Committee
Festival Coordinator Claire Jones
Zimfest: Music Dancing Across Borders
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Performer and Teacher Applications Open Jan 2
Happy New Year Zimfesters!
Performer, Teacher and Workshop Applications for Zimfest 2020 in Olympia, WA are now open and will close February 29.
Click here for performer information and here for the performer application.
Click here for teacher information and here for the teacher application. Once you have submitted a teacher application, you will be sent a link to propose one or more workshops.
Things to keep in mind:
- The Sunday evening concert will again be free (donations requested) so that Zimbabweans and others holding visitor visas can perform on the evening stage.
- Individuals who are accepted as teachers will be asked to complete a background check if they did not teach at Zimfest last year.
- Workshop proposals we love to see: theoretical topics (e.g. African rhythms, song structure and improvisation) in addition to teaching songs; cultural presentations of all sorts.
- Workshop times: participant feedback indicates hosho and dance workshops of 90 minutes work well. Many intermediate marimba students have requested longer workshops, and we can schedule a few for 2 1/2 hours. See detailed Workshop Proposal information here (scroll down the page).
- The Zimfest Organizing Committee is still looking for artwork designs to be used for Zimfest 2020 publicity, tee shirts and more. See the call for submissions in a previous blog post and/or write to the OC at oc{at}zimfest{dot}org.
Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
Zimfest 2020: Music Dancing Across Borders
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Holiday Membership Drive
Dear Zimfest Association members, friends, and whomever else might be reading this,
We hope that as the darkest days of the year are upon us you are all doing well, enjoying your families, and hopefully still playing some great music! The holidays are officially here and so is the Zimfest Association’s annual campaign and membership drive. This will be our fifth year running this campaign, and we are hoping that it will be our most successful ever. As you know, while the festival itself provides some income to the association, meeting once a year for just a few days simply doesn’t provide enough to cover all our expenses. We want to continue to grow the festival and provide the best experience we can, and here are some ways that you can help.
Become a Member:
To those of you who signed up around Thanksgiving, we give you our thanks! You are the role models whom we hope will inspire others to finally sign up for that membership they’ve been putting off for years. It’s so simple, you’ll be done in minutes. Just head to https://zimfest.org/about/membership/ to find the right fit for you. Pinching pennies and eating lots of Ramen? Perhaps our student membership is right for you. Maybe you recently came into some money; a lottery ticket, a rich family member, a fabulous invention? Consider our lifetime membership. With all the different types of membership, there’s sure to be something to fit your budget! You can even choose to have your names published on the website and in the Festival Guide to show the world that you support Zimfest.
Provide Charitable Donations:
Membership not your thing? Or Maybe you’re already a member, but you want to know how you can help out even more? Consider a tax-deductible donation to the Zimfest Association! While membership dues are a significant boon to our community, your donations have been essential for the festival in the past, and if you donate now, you will be contributing to our shared future. Your money goes straight to things like paying travel expenses for Zimbabwean teachers, paying teachers for performances and workshops, and our new fellowship program which this year allowed us to pay the way for community veteran, Michael Sibanda, as well as our new friend Tafadzwa Gapara!
Other Ways to Contribute:
As you’re finishing up your holiday shopping, remember that when you shop on Amazon, you can support Zimfest by choosing the Zimfest Association as the organization you would like to receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. Also, if you’re selling stuff on eBay, you can choose to donate a percentage of the final sales price to the Zimfest Association. Finally, if your company supports matching donations, find out from your supervisor or Human Resources department how your company can match your contributions, often dollar for dollar! For info on all of these, see https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/
Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or Festivus we hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and we can’t wait to see you next year at The Evergreen State College!
Warmly,
The Zimfest Board
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Call for Zimfest Art and More
Hello Zimfesters,
We have some requests for help from the Zimfest Association Board of Directors and the 2020 Organizing Committee (OC):
- The OC is calling for submissions of designs to be used for Zimfest 2020 publicity, tee shirts and more. As mentioned on the new 2020 overview page, the festival theme remains Music Dancing Across Borders. Your artwork could reference this theme, or anything else creatively suggestive of the Zimbabwean Music Festival. Send your submissions to oc{at}zimfest{dot} org. Creator of the best usable idea sent to us by January 15, 2020 receives $100 and our appreciation!
- The ZA is searching for new members for the Board of Directors! The best way to help us get the news out to you, the Zimfest community, is to help us increase our numbers to do the work of the Board! See the Board Recruitment page for info and write us a letter today!
- Don’t forget now is a great time to renew your membership, become a ZA member for 2020 or just donate to the cause! The Holiday Fundraiser page tells you how and why.
- A reminder from the OC that performer and teacher applications will open January 2, 2020. If there are any offerings you’d like to see in the way of workshops, drop us a line at teachers{at}zimfest{dot}org.
Enjoy the solstice!
Alex Weeks, ZA Board President
Claire Jones, Zimfest Coordinator
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July and Sept. Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the July 14th and September 8th meetings of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Holiday Membership Fundraiser
Dear Zimfest community,
We hope this message finds you well! As the days grow shorter and the holidays loom on the horizon, we wanted to take a minute to say thank you for your membership and/or donation. “But Daniel, I’m not a member,” some of you say, wringing your hands feverishly. That’s ok! It’s easier than ever to sign up. From as little as $10.00 per year for our Youth/Student membership, there are membership categories to fit any budget and situation!
Consider Regular, Family, Couple, Teacher, Lifetime, and even Lifetime Family memberships. Members may choose to have their names published on the website and in the Festival Guide as a public display of support for Zimfest. Membership fees are also 100% tax deductible. Please refer to the membership page to renew or initiate a membership — https://zimfest.org/about/membership/. Not sure if you’re still a member, or have questions about your status? Drop us a line at za-members (at) zimfest(dot)org. Already a member? Or maybe you just don’t want your name on any lists but still feel like helping? Consider a tax-deductible donation of whatever amount works for you! Our long term goal is to have the majority of Zimfest participants be members of the organization. We have seen an increase in previous years. It is our hope that a healthy dialogue about the festival and Association can emerge from a membership that feels a sense of ownership in the Zimfest Association. Membership covers the calendar year January 1st through December 31st, and any memberships purchased during this campaign will be applied to 2020!
Not only do your memberships and donations help keep the festival going, but you are also helping to bring the very best teachers we can find! Starting last year, your contributions also started going towards our new fellowship program, which helps to bring one veteran and one brand new Zimbabwean teacher to our festival each year! This year we were able to sponsor community favorite, Mr. Michael Sibanda, as well as our new friend whom we all hope to see again, Tafadzwa Gapara! Supporting Zimbabwean participation at the festival is always one of our top priorities and we are thrilled at this new chance to put your contributions to good use. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving, celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving if you’re looking for more excuses to lend us a hand. Help us become the best festival we can be!
Many thanks,
The Board
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Zimfest 2020
Dear Zimfest community,
On Friday, Zimfest organizers and I had a successful visit and consultation with Conference Services at The Evergreen State College. I am pleased to announce that both parties agree: we are confirming Zimfest 2020 to be held from July 30 – August 2 at this public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. You can write those penciled-in dates in ink now!
There are of course many details to be worked out as this will be the first Zimfest at Evergreen, conveniently located between Portland and Seattle. I am happy to say we have some Olympia community members working on Local Arrangements along with at least one Evergreen student. The Zimfest Organizing and Tech committees will begin preparing for performance and teacher applications to open January 2, 2020. Make your plans and get ready for a “Greener” experience!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
Zimfest 2020: Music Dancing Across Borders
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Zimfest 2020
Dear Zimfest community,
Thank you to all who filled out the post-Zimfest survey or have otherwise communicated to the ZA Board and organizers about their feelings and desires for Zimfest in 2020.
Based on support from the community, the Board has decided to go ahead with plans to produce Zimfest 2020 at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA! I have been in touch with Conference Services at Evergreen and they are enthusiastic about hosting Zimfest from July 30-August 2, 2020. We are in the process of ironing out some details and look forward to signing a Booking Agreement. So, not 100% confirmed yet, but I would advise you to save these dates!
We are happy to say that a number of people stepped up at this year’s festival to volunteer to help organize the next Zimfest. As always, however (you know the drill), we welcome your volunteering help! Let us know if you are interested in helping to organize, or would be available for special assignments – e.g., proof-reading, publicity or technical tasks – for brief periods of time during the course of the year. You can write to me at claire{at}zimfest{dot}org or the Board at board{at}zimfest{dot}org.
– Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
Music Dancing Across Borders
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Post-Festival Blues
Greetings Zimfest community,
Zimfest 2019 has come and gone and I, for one, have now caught up on my sleep after four days of incredible music and gathering with new and old friends!
Why are we blue? We want to hear from you! The Post-Festival Survey is open on the website and we’d love to hear your feedback: what did you like and what didn’t you like about Zimfest 2019 at Western Oregon University. If you didn’t make it to the festival this year, there is a question for you too – we’d like to hear why you didn’t come!
The Zimfest Association Board of Directors will be meeting soon to make a final decision on Zimfest 2020. We need your input.
If you would like to offer to help organize the next festival, please email board{at}zimfest{dot}org or contact Claire directly at claire{at}zimfest{dot}org.
Thank you, Tatenda, Siyabonga!
Claire and the 2019 Organizers
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