Drama festivals to be institutionalized for second cycle schools

23-07-14  

Students in action

The National Commission on Culture (CNC) under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts is putting in place measures to institutionalize the organization of drama festivals for Senior High Schools (SHSs) each year. The essence is to unearth inherent talents in students at the second cycle level. The intended program is to also nurture talents amongst the youth and promote excellence in creativity, acting, script writing, directing, play production and set design. The Acting Upper East Director for the CNC, Mrs Helen Sinabisi Akanbong, announced this at Bolgatanga during an inter-schools drama competition for selected second cycle schools in the region. Competing schools were Fumbisi SHS from the Builsa South District, Kusanaba SHS, Bawku SHS and the host school, Bolgatanga Girls Senior high school.  The keenly contested drama competition which is the first in the series to be held in the region saw Bolgatanga Girls emerging as winners with a score mark of 232. Bawku SHS came second with 209 marks whilst Kusanaba SHS attained 200 marks beating Fumbisi SHS, who came last with only 162 points. Participating schools exhibited excellent stage work on different theatre concepts. Fumbisi SHS demonstrated the essence of peace whilst Kusana SHS highlighted the neglect of the country’s cultural values and belief systems by the present youth due to the indoctrination of western culture. Students from the Bawku SHS also put up an excellent performance emphasizing on the need to promote unity inspite of our different ethnic backgrounds. Performance from Bolgatanga SHS which received resounding cheers and applause from the audience amplified the need to respect and appreciate each other’s profession for the sake of unity and development.  At the end of the competition, the Regional Director of GBC URA Radio, Mrs Asibi Bangu Ekella, who also represented as the chief judge identified some stage errors and advised both the play writers and the actors to exhibit professionalism by working on those lapses. She challenged the youth to respect their cultural norms and attach interest in what they are good at.  This year’s maiden drama school competition which was characterized by various dance performances serves as the platform for the selection of best schools to participate in the upcoming National Drama Festival for second cycle schools across the country. 

GBC                                                      END                                               /IA