The second National Drama Festival (NDF) was launched yesterday with new incentives for budding actors and playwrights.
Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony, in the company of Director of Culture, Dr. James Rose and Director, NDF, Godfrey Naughton launched the festival yesterday morning in the ministry’s conference room, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. The minister also outlined some of the potential benefits of the festival and the rationale behind the ministry’s decision to make it a calendar event.
He said that the ministry was pleased to launch the festival as a yearly event, having defied those who were sceptical about the inaugural event held last year.
Anthony said that the ministry and the festival committee would have conducted a vigorous review of the last festival and from the findings they have put the necessary systems in place to ensure a better 2012 festival.
One of the recommendations of the review of the inaugural festival was the need to shift the timing of the festival to ensure the participation of the schools and those of community groups. Consequently, the festival will this time feature a junior category of secondary schools, religious groups and other forms of youth groups. The previous festival was only open to seniors. And to encourage and ensure the participation of the school groups, the ministry is collaborating with the Department of Allied Arts, Ministry of Education.
The committee is also going out to the various communities and reaching out to schools and groups.
According to GINA, the festival, in addition to having four clear categories, Junior, Short Plays and Long plays and Senior, there will be a summer programme for school entrants to rehearse for the festival in the Short and Long plays categories.
Naughton said that this will be facilitated at the various schools and the students will benefit from study sessions under the mentorship of professional actors, including Ron Robinson, Richard Narine and Henry Rodney.
The festival also allows for playwrights to witness the works performed on stage and those desirous of developing their craft and having their work performed at the festivals are being asked to submit copies of their work to the ministry along with their personal and contact information. Naughton said that these plays will be uploaded to the festival link on the ministry’s website and the NDF Facebook page.
Meanwhile, entrants of plays entered in the festival are required to make a preliminary presentation to the judges at an official preliminary scheduled for September 22-30 at the various theatrical locations, including the National Cultural Centre and the Theatre Guild.
All participants in these preliminaries will be awarded Certificates of Merit or Excellence at the end of their performances.
The finals of the festival would be at the National Cultural Centre from October 9-16 and a special award committee will meet to determine the winners that will be announced at a special award ceremony soon after.
Participants will receive Crystal Achievement Awards in both categories under 12 headings, including Best Actor and Best Actress.
The best production and play writers will receive cash incentives along with their Crystal Award with the Short Length Play Junior Category winning US$2000 and the Short Length Play Senior Category winning US$2500.
The Long Length Play Junior Category will win US$2500 and the Senior Category US$5000.
Writers of plays that win in the four categories of “Best Original Guyanese Stage Plays” are eligible for special awards.
The festival is one of the ministry’s initiatives aimed at developing the skills of the nation’s writers, dramatics and producers and empowering the performers with knowledge of theatre norms, stage usage, set, light and sound designing, GINA said.
