Ndau festival of the arts in Zimbabwe
Staging intangible cultural heritage for revitalising the ChiNdau language
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20253239 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Solomon Gwerevende (0000-0001-7699-5751, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, corresponding author), Phillip Kusasa (The Princeton Festival) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cogent Arts and Humanities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2331-1983 • E-ISSN: 2331-1983 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23311983.2026.2624196 |
| OpenAlex | W7128426676 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
This article explores the transformative role of the Ndau Festival of the Arts (NDAFA) in safeguarding the ChiNdau language as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ndau people in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. As a minority language, ChiNdau is at risk of decline due to inadequate documentation, cultural assimilation, and the dominance of languages like Shona, Ndebele, and English in official contexts. The NDAFA addresses these challenges by providing a space for ChiNdau-speaking communities to perform their music, dance, and storytelling, thus promoting language use, cultural transmission, and community engagement. The study utilises ethnographic fieldwork methods to generate and document data on the festival’s contributions to the revitalisation of ChiNdau and cultural sustainability. The findings reveal that the festival is vital in advancing the Ndau language and cultural heritage, enhancing community involvement, and raising awareness of the importance of their Ndau cultural legacy. The study offers policymakers, linguists, ethnomusicologists, ethnochoreologists, activists, and cultural practitioners valuable insights into language preservation and cultural sustainability. Furthermore, the findings highlight that the NDAFA empowers local communities by adopting a relevant, bottom-up, and sustainable approach to revitalising their linguistic heritage, thereby fostering a sense of self-determination and cultural pride
Cultural heritage · Cultural heritage management · Ethnography · Heritage language · Intangible cultural heritage · The arts · Transformative learning · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Diverse Musicological Studies · Multilingual Education and Policy
The Rise and Fall of Languages
Language Policy and Language Planning
The Sage Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation
Uses of Heritage
Rethinking Environmental Sustainability through the Ndau Notion of Communal Existence
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“I’m Often Alone”
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Crafting Identity in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
Analogies and links between cultural and biological diversity
Of Time and Mime
Contextualising language planning from below
We are Indigenous people, not primitive people.’
Rearticulating the Case for Micro Language Planning in a Language Ecology Context
Micro language planning for multilingual education
Speaking Like a Native
Identity consciousness among the Ndau people in Zimbabwe
Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage
Chilonga cultural landscape in the shadow of eviction
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Constructions of Zimbabwe
Preserving Endangered Languages
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |