Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
Eighth Secondary Schools’ Drama Festival wraps up today
-winners will go to Barbados for regional leg
The curtain is expected to come down on the Eighth Secondary Schools’ Drama Festival today. The event which started yesterday at the Theatre Guild, Parade Street, Georgetown, is aimed at strengthening literacy among students.
It is being hosted by the Ministry of Education via its Allied Arts Unit, one that is tasked with promoting areas of the expressive arts, that is, dance, drama, music, visual arts and physical education in the schools’ curriculum in Guyana.
The festival has attracted the participation of 16 schools from
Ascension Secondary School students perform “A flower without Petals”
all across the country. The best overall dramatic production will be chosen to represent Guyana at the Caribbean Secondary Schools Drama Festival which is slated for later this year in Barbados.
A few outstanding entries will also be selected to participate in the National Drama Festival which has seen many successes over the past few years. It was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport.
Reflecting on yesterday’s performances, judge, Desiree Edghill, said that while the plays were good, she has seen better productions over the years. The highlight for the judges was Ascension Secondary School which outshined Plaisance Secondary, as well as two Queen’s College entries.
The plays are being judged for their storyline on child labour, character development and the time limit of 30- 45 minutes.
These requirements will help individual participants to develop positive dramatic skills.
Edghill said that she was a bit disappointed at the way the concept of child labour was delivered, since it was evident that there was a mix up between child abuse and child labour.
“Child abuse is different from child labour.”
It was reported that the Human Services Ministry had requested that the Allied Arts Unit undertake some artistic presentations to commemorate Child Labour Day.
The schools to better portray and embrace this concept will be awarded special prizes worth $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 compliments of the Human Services Ministry.
The most promising actor and actress of each play will be announced, and they will be awarded a bag of goodies. Schools are awarded plaques based on varying merits.
The categories for the entries are ‘Straight Play’ (that is one from a school text), a play from a Caribbean Playwright or a Dance Drama and Storytelling piece.
All participating schools were given support in the form of a stipend from the Education Ministry, so as to finance costumes, props and other needful materials to facilitate their participation.
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