BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– It was yet another successful event as the European Union (EU) hosted yet another edition of the annual EU Bushfire schools festival.
Day one of the Bushfire School’s festival, supported by the European Union in Eswatini, kicked off on a high note.
In partnership with UNICEF Swaziland, the festival hosted three workshops which were drama, drumming and self-expression, hosted by Klitsgras Drumming Circle, Tswalo and KrTC of Hip Hop.
As in previous years, this EU schools festival attracted about 600 pupils from various schools around Eswatini.
As is the norm in such an event, the kids excelled in the various languages of art as they displayed an array of art performances that included music, traditional and modern dances as well as poetry. Even children as young as five years took part in the event and showcased their skills.
The theme for the event was Child Social Protection which was linked to one of the EU-funded projects in Swaziland.
Speaking before the start of the event, the EU Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini Dessislava Choumelova emphasized the importance of arts and culture in human and social development, saying art helps to shape societies as well as contributes significantly to enhancing people’s creativity.
For the children, she said, art will help shape their future as well as unlock their potential as they discover themselves through the many languages of art.
The Ambassador added that the EU was proud to have supported this event over the years. She said the event has grown from strength to strength and continues to do so.
“All the themes we have had for each festival are relevant as it talks to the need for Eswatini society to protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect,” she said.
In addition, she said children have to grow in an environment that is safe, caring and loving.
Speaking on the same occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), appreciated the EU’s support to children’s arts through the Bushfire schools festival and said this was a good platform to empower the children through the many languages of art.
“The purpose of these workshops was to equip children and teachers with knowledge and tools to make positive choices around their health and development, and provide a platform for students to explore their creative works towards building a stronger creative economy in Eswatini,” he said. This colorful event is ongoing at the House on Fire in Malkerns, it is a prelude to the internationally-acclaimed MTN Bushfire music festival to be held from tomorrow May 26-28, 2023 and will be featuring an array of international music stars and attracting more than 20 000 fans from across the globe.
