Culture Shift is a program of events working to engender interesting new ways of working and thinking between digital and creative communities in Zimbabwe.

CultureShift Zim, will create an opportunity for cultural and digital communities to work closely together, increasing their understanding of each other’s work and the mutual benefits of collaboration. Culture Shift will connect leading cultural organisations and practitioners with software developers and creative technologists to see what amazing things happen. This process should play a pivotal role in relationship brokerage, ideas generation, developing new professional networks, appealing to new investment communities or others working with new technologies and it will act as a process for research and development when considering how to mobilise the start up and cultural community in Zimbabwe.

We are looking for talented geeks who are passionate about art, culture and creativity in Zim and talented artists and cultural professionals who are interested in digital technology and what it can do for you or your organisation. We don't expect the cultural agents to have a good understanding of digital technology, we are seeking people with passion and ideas.

The events will start with two days of ideation on the 21st and 22nd where you will attend various workshop sessions, hear presentations, meet the very talented people that live in your local area and you will co-produce a possible digital solution to one of the many problems faced by the culture sector every day. If the judges think your team's idea is worth investment, you will be invited to take part in the Culture Shift hack from the 5th - 7th March, where your team might just secure a contract worth $3,500 to develop a prototype further.

For now, all you need to do is make sure you have the dates free in your diary, you have registered to attend on eventbrite and you are ready to take part in one of the most exciting digital events Africa has ever seen.

To take part register on our eventbrite page:http://cultureshiftzimadmin.eventbrite.com/

To find out more information please 'Like' our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/CultureShiftZimbabwe

Or follow our twitter hashtag #Cultureshiftzim

Make sure you send this on to all the other talented developers, designers and geeks you think will be interested in taking part.

Schedule as follows:

Ideation Day agenda:

DAY ONE -February 21, 2013

8:00am-8:30am: Registration

8:35am – 8:50am: Welcome & Introductions

9:00am – 9.15am Presentation by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture - Permanent Secretary/UNESCO
'Why digital is so important to the growth of the arts and the growth of entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe''

9.15am – 9.30am Presentation by the Ministry of SME's
How collaboration is the key to successful SME's

9:30am – 9:45am: Presentation TBC

9:45am – 10:00am: Presentation by representative from the IT Sector ''Where Zimbabwe currently is in terms of IT infrastructure – Opportunities for small enterprises''

10:00am – 10:15am TEA BREAK

10.15 am – 12.20pm Workshops


12.20pm – 13:30pm Lunch and networking

13.30pm – 13:35pm Day 1 closes

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DAY TWO – FEBRUARY 22, 2013

8am – 8.20am Arrival and refreshments

8.20am – 8.35am Welcome back


8.35am – 10.15am Presentations from the cultural organisations
Each presentation should take no more than 5 minutes.


10.15am – 12.45pm Networking and idea sharing


12.45pm – 1.30pm Lunch

1.30pm – 2pm Warm up

2pm – 4pm Networking and idea generation continues


4pm – 5.15pm Teams present back their ideas

5.15pm – 5.30pm Judges pick the winning teams to go forward to the hack

5.30pm – 5.45pm Winners to participate in the hack are announced.

Event Location: Alliance Francaise http://www.afzim.org/harare/