BY SHARON SIBINDI/SIBONGINKOSI MAPHOSA

THE National Arts Council of Zimbabwe has re-branded its premier awards event — the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) — following the change in management, NewsDay Life & Style has learnt.

This year’s edition will run under the theme Taking it Back to the People.The re-branding came in the wake of the appointment of a new management led by radio and television personality Napoleon Nyanhi

This was revealed at a consultative meeting held for artistes at Makokoba’s Stanley Square in Bulawayo last Friday.Nyanhi said the new team was building on the foundation already established.

He said they were currently preoccupied with improving the perception of the awards among artists and the public.

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“We have been having artists engagement forums … to give them a voice and also let them know that Nama belongs to them,” Nyanhi said.

“So they cannot be on the side-lines complaining; they are stakeholders, they have to be part of it, they have to make their voice heard and whatever improvements that needs to be made, their contributions should be taken into consideration.”

They were also seized with fixing the public perception of the awards, starting with the re-branding of the Nama logo.Nyanhi said the silver sphere, which is in the middle of the Nama trophy, will be replaced by a globe as the awards sought to launch successful creatives into the world.

“That is a goal for us. That’s a vision. Now, we need to deliver on it and make sure that whenever artists win the Nama, it is actually an opportunity for them to reach the world,” he said.

“We also want the actual event to be opened up to the public and in the recent past, it has been by invitation only, but we want to make it a people’s event,” he added.