Umngcele - 'The Bridge' in Ndebele, is a link between Simunye and the Mpopoma Dance Ensemble. It is a relationship based on artistic exchange, empowerment and intercultural development.

Simunye - Zulu for ‘We are one (people)' - based in Sheffield, is a not-for-profit community co-operative using arts, music, movement and other forms of cultural expression as ‘vehicles' to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together.

The young people of Mpopoma have much to offer their peers in Sheffield, not least the use of performance to pass on important messages on AIDS, health, social deprivation and the ability to survive, plus, of course, their diverse cultural heritage. We in Sheffield hope to develop some financial strategies to enable the Mpopoma group meet some of its practical needs.

Volunteers from Simunye have visited Mpopoma regularly since March 2003 and enjoyed their Abangani Arts Festival in December 2003 and 2004. They have visited them in March, before the group undertook a highly successful tour in the UK from May - August 2004.

The first tangible results of this link are already taking shape. The Mpopoma group moved into an office space in Bulawayo in October 2003 and are developing it to provide both much-needed facilities for their own community and the wider arts community in the city. Following on from their summer tour this year they have been able to purchase basic lighting and sound equipment for their own productions, as well as for hire to other groups to generate further small-scale income in Zimbabwe.

They held further Abangani Festivals in December 2004.05 and 06.

Mpopoma performing with the Mundi Drummers in Sharrow in 2004, a result of links through the Umngcele project





Former Project Co-ordinator Julia Shaw with some young Mpopoma friends at their office in Zimbabwe, December 2004

UMNGCELE

Mpopoma Dance Ensemble

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

linked with

Simunye

Inter-cultural Arts & Enterprise

Sheffield, UK .