Drama aplenty at Sanfest

Tonight, judges will assess students competing in visual arts, dramatised speech, public speaking, verse speaking, monologue, storytelling, and coral speaking. This will take place at the home for Sanfest, the Creative Arts Centre on Circular Road, beginning at 1pm.

This year’s theme is “Sanfest – The Divine Alternative to…” Co-ordinator of Sanfest Walid Baksh said he would like to see more people attending the events and showing support for the youths in the arts. “Having an audience is very important when a child has to perform any kind of art,” Baksh said. He urged the public to look at the schedule and support the performances.

Sanfest is endorsed by the Ministry of Education with the competition serving to nurture the performing, literary and visual arts within schools. This festival will also provide experiences that will assist in the holistic development of students.

Apart from providing a forum for the exploration of student’s creative abilities, Sanfest has served as the primary stage experience for some of the nation’s major artistes, including Machel Montano, Joanne Foster, Liam Teague, Atiba Williams, Michael Zephyrine, Faye Alibocas, Victoria Cooper, Megan Walrond, Sherma Andrews, Rondell Donawa and Frances Brooks.

Baksh says the theme, “Sanfest – The Divine Alternative”, will no doubt provide many opportunities for students to develop while engaging in activities that are positive and memorable. The youths, he said, in turn could help mobilise the artistic community to take a leadership role in cultural diversification and education.

Harrilal Seecharan, chief education officer from the Ministry of Education said that throughout the world, nations are remembered by their cultural legacy and contributions to the development of the arts.

“Educational opportunities in the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) provide the institutional framework for this legacy to be developed and enhanced,” he said. “The ministry’s educational programmes are underpinned by the principles: All students possess innate creative abilities and should be exposed to a stimulating arts programme to allow them to maximise those abilities.

Arts education is essential to the development of citizens in a diverse and multicultural society.” VAPA, he says, also facilitates psychomotor development which allows students to become aware of their physical bodies and promotes healthy lifestyles.

Sanfest began on September 26 and ends on November 23 with the staging of the Mr and Mrs Sanfest competition.