Raisedon Baya Arts Focus
IN Bulawayo and surrounding areas many High Schools create and perform at least one school play a year. The more active ones do a minimum of three plays per year and these are entered into the three major drama competitions that take place annually in the city and the country at large. The vibrancy of drama activities in schools, particularly in Bulawayo Province, is a direct result of competitions, mainly Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search, The Plan High Schools Drama Competition and the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) organised one. Last year Gifford Boys High dominated the drama scene by scooping all the first prizes on offer in the three competitions. It was their year – perhaps a reward for the school’s investment in the drama club and also for Mrs Bridget Sayers’ dedication to the development of drama at Gifford.
In a few weeks, the drama calendar in schools kicks off with Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search. The competition is organised by Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts (IYASA) and supported by Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust. The competition is in two parts. A two-day workshop for both teachers and students, and then the competition itself.
After Isiphiwo Sami comes The Plan High Schools Drama competition which also offers skills sharing workshops and a competition. The last competition of the year is the national secondary schools drama competition organised by NASH. The NASH organised competition takes place in the third term and national provinces rotate to host the finals of the competition.
Success in these competitions is not guaranteed. There has been very interesting surprises in the last three years. However, success is usually determined by three factors:
- The attitude of the school towards drama and this is usually embodied in the headmaster’s attitude to art and culture.
- The facilities or spaces available at the school. Usually, it is schools with good spaces for drama, schools that allow activities to occur without a lot of disturbances that do better in these competitions.
- Knowledge and enthusiasm of responsible teachers. Drama teachers often have to go out of their way and sometimes they have to dig into their own pockets to make things happen for their own clubs. A teacher who is not willing to go an extra mile for his/her club often does not go far in these competitions.
The importance of drama in the education system cannot be over-emphasised. We have said it again and again that drama is a valuable activity in the holistic development of the child or student as an individual. It has been demonstrated by educationalists that drama and other art related activities do;
- Develop a student’s self-confidence. (One of the students I work with has a nice WhatsApp status. It says “I do drama to find myself”. And believe you me she has already found herself.)
- Help students with powers of self- expression.
- Improve a student’s ability to work with others on a common task.
- Improve students’ enthusiasm for learning. (Good drama lessons make students more inquisitive and very analytical, qualities every teacher seeks in his/her students.)
Drama activists strongly believe that an educational system which encourages arts and culture activities at all levels often produces human beings capable of making the best use of their time at school and their leisure time after school.
The above points have, many a time, been used to advocate for arts and culture to be considered as serious activities within the school timetable. The Government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, acknowledges the importance of the arts and culture in schools as evidenced by serious discussions in schools on how to make the best out of school arts activities. Some schools have even adopted drama, arts and culture, into formal subjects on their timetables.
Back to the drama competitions. These serve a serious purpose in motivating students and teachers to continue participating in arts and culture activities. Without these competitions drama would disappear in schools. So as the year begins most schools are looking forward to their participation in these competitions in the hope of scooping some prizes. We conclude this week’s piece by saying may the best prepared schools win in all the three competitions.