‘Places Please’ – Uitvlugt Secondary sweeps Secondary Schools Drama Festival
─ will represent Guyana at Caribbean Secondary Schools Drama Festival in St. Lucia next year
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, November 24, 2018
Students from twelve secondary schools across the country displayed exceptional theatrical skills at the National Secondary Schools Drama Festival. The three-day event, saw students displaying their skills through dramatic presentations, dance and storytelling at the Theatre Guild, Kingston.
Participating schools included Queen’s College, Berbice High, Annandale Secondary, Berbice Educational Institute, West Demerara Secondary, North West Secondary, Kingston Secondary, Uitvlugt Secondary, Anna Regina Secondary, Lodge Secondary, South Ruimveldt Secondary and Diamond Secondary.
It was Uitvlugt Secondary that walked away with most of the awards for their outstanding performance in their play titled ‘Biodiversity’. They dethroned last year’s winners; North West Secondary, in the play segment. The troupe from Uitvlugt Secondary will now go on to represent Guyana in St. Lucia at the Caribbean Secondary Schools Drama Festival in November 2019.
Uitvlugt Secondary student, Nathan Wickham, was the bestowed the honour of the Most Promising Actor and will be leading his school next year in St. Lucia. The young man said that he is grateful for the exposure afforded adding that it felt fantastic to win since everyone worked really hard to pull off the performance that wowed the crowd and judges.
“Representing my country is something that I always wanted to do and I am so grateful for this opportunity. It will now allow myself and colleagues to go to St. Lucia to represent our country and show them the kind of talent we have in our country” Wickham stated.
Candacie Whaul-Amsterdam was the teacher responsible for writing and directing the winning play. Whaul-Amsterdam, who also won the award for Best Director, said that it was not easy but the students were willing and dedicated. Nonetheless, she is of the firm the opinion that creative arts must be should be pushed in the schools.
“I really feel that the Creative Arts is one of the ways children can express themselves. It not only helps with self-expression outside of the classroom but also boosts their confidence which in turn helps them to perform better academically. So, I think Guyana should really go forward in promoting the Creative Arts,” she underscored.
Administrator (ag) of the Unit of Allied Arts, Lorraine Barker-King said that she was impressed with the talent displayed by the students. She also commended the teachers for dedicating their energies and time to the students to ensure they put on an exceptional show. Barker-King pointed out that aside from the brilliant performances, she was impressed with the number of social ills that were addressed through the various art forms.
“We saw plays with abuse, we saw drugs, we saw teenage pregnancy, we know those are the ills of society, so this is a way of showcasing as well as showing ways in which can they can be curbed,” she said.
Below are winners for the various categories:
| Plays: |
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| Story Telling: |
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| Drama dance: |
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| Special awards: |
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Isaiah Braithwaite
Images: Jules Gibson