Zambia’s amateur and semi-professional theatre companies have converged on Chingola for the 2026 Senior Festival of the National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia, an event that this year doubles as the association’s 40th anniversary, Zambia Monitor reports. The festival is sponsored by Konkola Copper Mines and the Zambia National Service, and its results are expected to produce the nominees for the theatre category of the Ngoma Awards, alongside winners from the intermediate category for colleges and universities.
The Government’s message to the stage was delivered by Esther Ngambi, Director of Arts, reading a speech on behalf of Kangwa Chileshe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts. It urged artistes to use digital platforms to put their work before wider audiences and to attract funders and partners, and restated support for theatre and the wider arts sector.
The government supported arts associations in 2026 with grants of K100,000 each to strengthen their operations and activities.
— Kangwa Chileshe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, in a speech read at the NATAAZ Senior Festival in Chingola, as reported by Zambia Monitor
CDF for the arts
Chingola district commissioner Howard Kamwandi encouraged artists to apply to the Constituency Development Fund for creative enterprises, particularly projects that create jobs. Maureen Lilanda, chairperson of the National Arts Council of Zambia, asked theatre practitioners to “focus on adding value to their discipline” and to position themselves to contribute to the Grow Zambia Agenda — a phrase echoed by NATAAZ chairperson Moses Mtonga, who thanked the Government for its support.
Zambia Monitor’s report does not give the festival’s dates, the number of companies competing or the productions staged, and the awards had not been announced at the time of writing.
Sources: Zambia Monitor, “Artistes urged to embrace digital platforms to expand reach, funding” (21 Oct 2026).