In addition to being the co-editor of the present edition of Strassenstimmen / Street Voice / Voces en la Calle, Mbizo Chirasha is an internationally acclaimed performance poet, writer, creative/literary projects specialist, an advocate of Girl Child Voices and Literacy Development. He is the founder and projects curator of a multiple community, literary, and grassroots projects including Girl Child Creativity Project, Girl Child Voices Fiesta, Urban Colleges Writers Prize, and Young Writers Caravan. Mbizo Chirasha has worked with NGOs and other institutions as an interventionist [using creative arts as models of community education, information dissemination and dialogue].The interventions include the HIV/AIDS Branding Project [Social Family Health Namibia 2009 - 2010 ], HIV/AIDs Nutrition Project [Catholic Relief Services 2006], Arts for Drought Mitigation [Swedish Cooperative Centre 2006]. He is widely published in more than a hundred journals, magazines, and anthologies around the world. He co-edited Silent Voices Tribute to Achebe Poetry Anthology, Nigeria and the Breaking Silence Poetry anthology,Ghana. His poetry collections include Good Morning President, Diaspora Publishers, 2011, United Kingdom and Whispering Woes of Ganges and Zambezi, Cyberwit Press, India,2010. He was the Poet-in-Residence from 2001-2004 for the Iranian embassy/UN Dialogue among Civilizations Project; Focal Poet for the United Nations Information Centre from 2001-2008; Convener/Event Consultant This Africa Poetry Night 2004 - 2006; Official Performance Poet Zimbabwe International Travel Expo in 2007; Poet in Residence of the International Conference of African Culture and Development/ ICACD 2009; and Official Poet Sadc Poetry Festival, Namibia 2009. In 2010, Chirasha was invited as an Official Poet in Residence of the ISOLA Conference in Kenya. In 2003 Mbizo Chirasha was a Special Young LiteraryArts Delegate of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair to the Goteborg International Book Fair in Sweden. He performed at Sida/African Pavilion, Nordic African Institute and Swedish Writers Union. In 2006, he was invited to be the only Poet /Artist in Residence at the Atelier Art School in Alexandria, Egypt. In 2009, he was a special participating delegate representing Zebra Publishing House at the UNESCO Photo –Novel Writing Project in Tanzania.. Mbizo Chirasha works as a performing poet for educational, diplomatic, international, national, media and cooperate organizations. He also works as a proof reader/editor, poet /writer in residence for institutions, as media relations strategist for projects, as GirlChildVoices talent advocate, literacy development activist and creative/literary projects advisor/specialist. Links:
Go back to Street Voice, issue 7, Contents
|
*