Uitvlugt Secondary tops Secondary Schools Drama Festival

Students from 12 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.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), it was Uitvlugt Secondary that walked away with most of the awards for its outstanding play titled “Biodiversity”. It dethroned last year’s winner 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 bestowed with the honour of “Most Promising Actor” and will be leading his school next year in St Lucia. The young man said that he was grateful for the exposure, 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. She is of the firm opinion that creative arts should be pushed in 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 stressed.
Acting Allied Arts Unit Administrator 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 they can be curbed,” she said.