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Background Info Zambia
| ASSITEJ Zambia is the Zambian centre for ASSITEJ International, also known as the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. ASSITEJ is the French acronym for 'Association Internationale du Theatre pour l'Enface et la Jeunesse'. ASSITEJ Zambia is also known as ATCYPIZA - Association of Theatre for Children and Young People in Zambia. ASSITEJ Zambia was launched on 2 July 1999 at the Lusaka National Museum in an event attended by a sizeable number of Lusaka schools at the basic and high school levels. On the same day elections were held to choose a provincial committee for Lusaka, which worked hand in hand with the national executive committee, which at the time was chaired by George Mumbuna, the Provincial Cultural Officer for Lusaka, with Cheela Chilala as National Secretary. On December 11 2000, ASSITEJ Zambia was accepted into full membership of ASSITEJ International at a meeting of the ASSITEJ International Executive Committee in Harare, Zimbabwe. Later, on 22 January 2001 ASSITEJ Zambia was registered with the Zambian Registrar of Arts Associations and became the ninth affiliate organisation of the National Arts Council of Zambia. Although ASSITEJ Zambia was only launched on 2 July 1999, it had been operating informally for about three years under an interim committee. The committee was formed to spearhead the establishment of the ASSITEJ centre in Zambia, with the assistance of the Provincial Cultural Office for Lusaka run by George Mumbuna. Mumbuna had been approached by Tisa Chifunyise, a member of the ASSITEJ International executive committee and Programmes Officer for ASSITEJ Zimbabwe. Tisa was a Zambian married to Stephen Chifunyise, a Zimbabwean who had lived and went to school and university in Zambia - one of the founders of CHIPAWO (Children's Performing Arts Workshop). Tisa, who at the ASSITEJ International Congress in Tromso, Norway, in 1999, was elected one of the vice presidents of ASSITEJ International, shared information about the organisation with Mumbuna and encouraged him to help start an ASSITEJ centre in Zambia. Mumbuna served as interim chairperson until 2000 when Cheela Chilala took over as chairperson (a position later changed to President), after which he became the General Secretary. Other members of the first interim committee were Asher Phiri, Chamunda Sichilongo, Dorothy Kabaso and Jane Malitoli. Over time the association spread beyond Lusaka Province to at least four other provinces: Eastern, Southern, Copperbelt and Central provinces. Provincial committees were formed in each of the provinces. |