About Us
Our Story
The Majestic Culture Hub is the name of the institutions that will be housed in the restored and adapted Majestic Cinema. This art deco gem located in Vuga; Stone Town is a unique building in the context of East Africa. It is the last purpose-built cinema in Zanzibar that is still in use. But its current condition puts it at risk.
The MCH project is not the first attempt to save the building and bring it back to life. People behind the Zanzibar International Film Festival initiated a campaign to restore the building in 2011. Our initiative picks up on that idea and carries it forward. Hifadhi Zanzibar Ltd., ZIFF, Busara Promotions and Reclaim Women Space are working together to create a Culture Hub in the old cinema building.
Re-purpose and restore the Majestic Cinema building as a culture hub
Develop awareness around Zanzibar’s built cultural heritage
Build a platform for artists and organizations to work, collaborate and share ideas together with Zanzibar’s key cultural festivals and their networks
Introduce a place for meeting, interacting and experiencing for the community
We are currently in the final stages of the blueprints for majestic Cinema project financed through a grant from Culture at Work Africa. This project enabled us to do a research on the importance of cinema in Zanzibar and the history of the building ,carry our interviews with various people from the local community and prepare a relevant program for building reflecting the needs of its anticipated users. We continue our work and Hifadhi is currently developing a restoration plan for the building.