Harare — The second edition of Sadc Artists Aids Festival is scheduled for Lilongwe in Malawi starting on November 30 until December 6, 2009.

The festival is a regional initiative aimed at working with artists in the response to HIV and Aids in Southern Africa.

Artists, HIV and Aids service organisations, business, civil society, multi and bilateral organisations are expected to participate in the festival.

There would be workshops on the sidelines of the festival starting on December 1 to 3 that would see facilitators from different countries making presentations with regard to the festival.

Among the facilitators will be Zimbabwe's perspective playwright Stephen Chifunyise who is expected to present a report on SAAF 2007 responses to HIV and Aids while Eugene Marillier-Malotana from South Africa would present a paper on what is SAAF.

Gregg Marinovich will make a visual representation and storytelling using photography.

Other topics to be discussed include the role that Sadc artists can play in 2010, Sadc secretariat presentation on the sustainable investment campaign and the Southern African Editors on HIV and Aids Communication in the region.

On December 4, there would be a fundraising event while on December 5 and 6 there would be several exhibitions and performances that are free to the public.

On the last day of the festival there would be a gala dinner and the official launch of SAAF 2009.

For performances, presentations and exhibitions artists are required to confirm by November 20, 2009.

The festival showcases the potential that the arts have in responding to the Aids epidemic in the Sadc region through music, theatre, dance, visual arts, poetry, film and exhibitions among others.

The annual event will be held in each of the Sadc countries following on the success of the first edition that was held in Harare in 2007.