This February 2024 collaboration brought H2M’s International Programs Director Jonathan Walters to Zimbabwe to reconnect with artist Lonesome Kudzaishe Tapiwa in his home country.  Lonesome was placed with H2M during his Community Engagement Exchange fellowship in spring 2023, working with all of H2M's and sparking ideas for new theatre and community events and connections everywhere he went.

 Lonesome and Jonathan collaborated to design a trip that could reach several different groups in the capital city of Harare and Lonesome's hometown of Bulawayo.

In both cities together with a local arts leader they organized meet and greets (Lloyd Nyikadzino, founder of Mitambo Festival in Harare, and Raisedon Baya, founder of Intwasa Arts Festival in Bulawayo) to build connection and friendships with the wider theatre community.  

Together they co-led a workshop for students and Alumni of the Zimbabwe Theatre Academy focusing on devising theatre with community and personal stories/voices. In Bulawayo, the focus was on public high school theatre teachers and their students, bringing small groups from 10 different schools for 'Theatre for Social Change' training.

This project was supported by an IREX CEPex Reciprocal Travel grant, part of the Community Engagement Exchange Fellowship 2023, funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Press and Media:
Zimbabwe Theatre Academy Empowers Artists for Social Change | Spiked.co.zw