Vera Chisvo
Vera Chisvo, giving a voice to marginalised creatives in Zimbabwe
Name: Vera Chisvo
Organisation: Incubator ZW, Moto Republik
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Links: incubatorzw.org
www.facebook.com/MotoRepublikZW
Overview: Vera is a Zimbabwean-based funky jazz vocalist and guitarist. As a proud activist and philanthropist, she recently founded a creative hub in Harare, Zimbabwe, the Incubator ZW: a virtual hub that aims at inspiring and motivating creatives to reach their full potential. Incubator ZW also hosts a bi-monthly podcast and video blog called ‘Her Hour’ that promotes freedom of speech among young Zimbabweans around issues that affect them in their everyday lives.
Conflict: Zimbabwe is a country that houses many creatives however with its harsh economic crises that have crippled the nation for over 40 years and continuous shrinking of civil space, creatives have found themselves scrounging around for what little support they can receive. With a government that is notorious for using creatives to push their political agenda, most creatives find themselves struggling to pursue their careers as non-partisan content creators. In addition, due to the harsh economic conditions, most creative spaces that support emerging artists have closed due to a lack of funding and being unable to sustain themselves. Vera is concerned about the Government’s increasing political intimidation and censorship of content in Zimbabwe, citing new legislation via the Cyber Security Bill and the Patriotic Bill that will increasingly control what Zimbabweans are free to talk about.
Action & Results: The Incubator ZW was founded in 2018 as a response to a call by British Council, Alliance Francaise, and Zimbabwe Goethe Institute, in order to encourage more content from female creatives. This initial idea was extended to support marginalised creatives and provide them with a platform to freely express themselves and reach a wider audience. The hub now accommodates female creatives, creatives with disabilities and creatives that are members of the LGBTIQA+ community. Providing them with first-time experiences has enabled them to become pioneers in their fields. The Incubator ZW is the first step to success for marginalised creatives in Zimbabwe.
In November 2019 they launched their first podcast called Her Hour ZW which is available on multiple platforms including: YouTube, Anchor, Spotify and iTunes. The podcast is a voice for young people & to encourage different narratives from different demographics. It provides a place for political, social and communal issues to be discussed from the perspective of young people. Some of the guests include the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, trained doctors, food specialists, Radio personalities, Education experts, advocates for the LGBTIQA+ community, lecturers, entrepreneurs and everyday Zimbabweans. Incubator ZW has three main focus areas: working with creatives with disabilities; creating opportunities for creatives in marginalised areas; and promoting the use of art as a form of activism.
Journey: Vera had to drop out of high school and then out graphic design college due to her family’s financial problems. She had always enjoyed music while in education and when she was unable to continue her studies, she started to sing. Alongside her career as a singer, Vera began working in arts administration, inspired by the role arts can play in society as a tool for social change. She is currently the Community Manager at Moto Republik - the first creative hub in Zimbabwe - working as a trainer and programmes manager. Vera recognised that the creative industries have always been biased towards men, and that most marginalised communities fail to establish themselves due to the patriarchal system and a long-standing history of state agents that constantly harass the LGBTIQA+ community. To counter this, she launched Incubator ZW to provide a safe space for creatives to work in collaboration across their disciplines. As a woman she is acutely aware of the additional pressure she has to prove herself as an entrepreneur and creative. She is often also wary of support or work offered by men, who she expects only wish to take advantage of her and are not genuinely interested in her work. Despite the difficulties of running a women-led business in Zimbabwe, she believes art and creativity have the power to bring about social change, influencing people, changing their perceptions, helping them have uncomfortable conversations and to think differently.
Support: In order to continue her work, Vera would love to see Incubator ZW move from a virtual to a physical space. Financial support would help Vera access spaces, people and knowledge, to open up further opportunities for under-represented groups in the creative industries.
