Two weeks ago we paid a brief visit to the Guyanese storytelling tradition. We mentioned the great value of the Secondary Schools Category in the National Drama Festival (NDF) with its potential for unearthing invaluable examples of Guyanese folk tales and preserving the local art of storytelling. We mentioned two recent examples of the rare gems performed in this festival and highlighted two factors: the dangerously low profile currently assumed by two types of tales – those of African and those of East Indian background – and the need for further dedicated research in both.
Local oral literature depends on continued oral transmission across generations and over geographical distances for its survival. Within this, performance is a very vital factor – if people do not continue to perform oral literature, it will fade. Additionally, if it is not researched and drawn out of the hidden corners of memory and villages it will disappear.
That is why the Secondary Schools Category in the NDF is so important, because it provides