On November 9, Kutsinhira’s board and several other Kutsinhira members gathered for a visioning session about the future of the organization.
Kutsinhira last conducted a formal visioning session in 2011. Many goals from that 2011 visioning have been achieved:
- Relocate. In 2016, we achieved this longstanding goal by moving the center to its current site at the Village School — a much more central location (and a lovelier space!).
- Increase enrollment. Kutsinhira’s educational program has regained financial stability and diversified, with more marimba classes and students overall, more children’s classes, an ongoing mbira program, and new Zimbabwean teachers on staff.
- Increase support of ZCDP. Kutsinhira’s annual financial support for our Zimbabwean Community Development Program has increased, expanding the impacts of the funded projects in Zimbabwe.
At this year’s visioning session, after some fruitful brainstorming, participants prioritized the following four areas for further exploration:
- Community Outreach and Service – How can Kutsinhira be of greater service to the Eugene-Springfield community?
- Fiscal Sponsorship – Shall we engage in fiscal sponsorship, a legal arrangement that could allow Kutsinhira to facilitate more projects consistent with our mission?
- Zimbabwean Resident and Guest Support – How can we create and facilitate more paid opportunities for Zimbabwean musicians living in Eugene and visiting Zimbabwean artists?
- Growth – In what ways do we want Kutsinhira to grow and how might we accomplish that?
Committees were formed to pursue the first three areas noted above. Given the breadth of the topic of growth, it was tabled for further discussion at a later time.
Kutsinhira has successfully established itself as an educational center for Zimbabwean music, as a sponsor for Zimbabwean guest artists, and as a grantor of funds to organizations doing work in Zimbabwe. We look forward to exploring the new possibilities outlined above!