Mbare Art Space: Revitalizing Zimbabwe’s Historic Beer Hall

The historic beer hall, now home to Mbare Art Space, has a rich past, having hosted Bob Marley and the Wailers at Zimbabwe’s independence celebrations.

In Harare, Zimbabwe, this former site of segregation has been reimagined as a vibrant arts hub and community center.

The beer hall was once a hub for black urban life, with a community gathering point for sports, politics, and culture.

Zimbabwe's civic infrastructure has been neglected, with many communal spaces left to decay.

Mbare Art Space is a nonprofit initiative operating under a long lease from the Harare City Council.

The space supports emerging artists through mentorship, access to resources, and exhibition opportunities.

The artist-in-residence programme invites local and international artists to engage with the community and create art inspired by Zimbabwe's history and culture.

Mbare Art Space offers workshops and education initiatives that engage local residents in art and creativity, promoting social cohesion and community regeneration.

The space is helping to revitalize Zimbabwe's cultural infrastructure and promote creative freedom and empowerment through its artist-in-residence programme and community engagement.

Mbare Art Space is a unique cultural hub that brings together art, archives, and community engagement, offering a vision of what is possible when history and imagination meet in a shared place.