Launch of the Joe De Graft Students Drama Festival

By Saul Sebag-Montefiore

 This year's Joe De Graft Students’ Drama Festival has been launched by Mr. Emmanuel Akortsu ,Director Centre for National Culture central region at the Centre of National Culture in Cape Coast.

The festival was created because the school authorities have pinpointed the neglect of drama/the arts in Ghanaian education which has lead to the lack of development in Ghanaian film and theatre culture. This festival is a very positive event for Ghana’s youth and future because it is a movement that is fighting for the further enrichment of Ghanaian culture, the creation of many new alternative pathways for youth, and the realisation of talent that may otherwise be ignored and wasted. As Mr. Akorstu put it, ‘...widen the fields of action and possibilities of change so that Ghana will still stand tall in the community of nations.’

The large amount of support that the festival has received from school authorities and sponsors is evidence of the validity of its cause. The festival has been sponsored by 19 companies including; Vodafone GH. LTD., HFC Bank, Coca Cola Co. LTD., Glico, Da Diva, Melcom and Elmina beach resort. Much of the media have also got behind the cause with media outlets, such as: TV3, TV Africa, Yes FM, Ahomka FM, Coastal TV. This wave of support also exposes that there is a shared feeling throughout the central region that the preconception that drama is not as important a highly regarded subjects like maths, English literature or science is incorrect.

The plays that the students are writing, performing and designing during the festival also raise awareness of a number of very important issues in African society, including: HIV/AIDS with emphasis against stigmatization, conflict resolution, expectations of a person following graduation, and environmental degradation/sanitation. In this way the festival also shows how drama can be used to force the actors and audience to think about vital issues that need to be confronted. Therefore there seems to be nothing negative about the existence of this festival and no reason why the festival organisers should not achieve their aim of making this a national festival.

However, along with the positive theme of this festival some serious and sad points were also exposed. The fact that some school authorities still either lack the funding, or fail to acknowledge the importance of the subject of drama, to make the dream of making this festival a larger or even national event come true. This event is a purely good cause and requires more sponsorship, more government funding and better support from those school authorities that still do not accept the importance of opening the door to the arts to improve not only their student’s lives but Ghana as a whole.