From Ishaque Agyei, Cape Coast
THE annual Students Drama Festival dubbed: “STUDRAFEST 2014” for second cycle schools in the Central region, was launched over the weekend at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Cape Coast. The festival, which will be held on competitive basis, is among other things geared towards unearthing the creative writing skills of individual students or schools and strengthening the literacy capabilities of the participants as potential playwrights, poets and journalists.
The Regional Director of the CNC, Mrs. Christiana Carl Oparebea, stressed the need to raise the level of cultural awareness among the youth and to encourage them to find more profitable use for their creative talents. According to her, STUDRAFEST was first hosted in 1995 and that the late Dr. (Mrs.) Efua Sutherland in 1980 presented a paper entitled, “Proposal of Historic Drama Festival in Cape Coast”, where she advocated a process where with or without formal training, people could write and act plays for appreciation.
Mrs. Oparebea stated that the after the competition, best plays, actors and actresses would be trained, nurtured and harnessed for further training for future full time or part time careers in Theatrical Art Industry. She revealed that the National Commission on Culture, under the auspices of Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts in September, this year, will organize a maiden edition of National Student Drama Festival of Second Cycle Schools in Accra.
In a speech read for him, the Central Regional Director of Education, Mr. Jacob A.M. Kon, commended the CNC for its efforts to improve the knowledge of students in the region as well as enhancing their chances of competing in similar festivals at the national level. He noted that challenges of global concerns could be tackled basically through the artistic creation of platforms such as drama, visual arts, music and other performing disciplines.
Mr. Kon stressed that the Regional Culture Unit of the Ghana Education Service is poised to develop, promote and teach the best in Ghanaian culture, adding that throughout the function, programmes and activities of the culture unit in collaboration with other agencies are propagating the creative art agenda. He, therefore, advised the students gathered to cease the opportunity, come on board and take keen interest in creative art since creativity has
