ICAT Playdate: Vimubza Healing Systems, Safeguarding Indigenous Knowledge in Malawi
Ended Apr 24, 2026
1 credit
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Full course description
Term: Spring 2026
Date: April 24th, 2026
Time: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Location: Community Assembly in the Creativity + Innovation District Living-Learning Community
Instructor: Phyllis Newbill
Presented By: Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT)
Description:
Vimbuza is a powerful Tumbuka healing tradition from Northern Malawi where music, dance, plant medicine, and ancestral connection come together to treat illness wholistically. This project seeks to preserve and revitalize Vimbuza through a UNESCO-compliant digital archive and immersive exhibition that integrates music, ritual, and community knowledge. In January of 2026, VT professors Martha Sullivan and Ralph Hall Tech partnered with Malawian community organizers, Edward Nkhata and Alexander Helden Nyasulu, to offer professional development workshops for community members in Hewe so that they can self-document the music and dance unique to Vimbuza. During the workshop, members of the Hewe community recorded multiple patient and provider interactions as part of this pilot study of creating their own archive of cultural knowledge. The main outcome is the design of an exhibition of the sound and images of Vimbuza practices for viewing in Malawi and beyond as curated by the Hewe community.
Speakers:
Dr. Martha Sullivan, Design;
Dr. Ralph Hall, Pub Internat Affairs;
Edward Nkhata, Malawi;
Alexander Helden Nyasulu, Malawi