GEORGE NEWS - The Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSFSA) is on its way to George. Six local schools and an amateur drama group will be performing at the Oakhurst Insurance George Arts Theatre this weekend, Friday to Sunday 10 to 12 September.
It is the fifth festival where casts from schools in George join in the fun. Learners prepare and perform an abridged version of a Shakespeare play of their choice, approximately 30 to 45 minutes long.
"This is a unique festival where it is not a competition and it's all about the process of choosing a play, working hard and creating a wonderful experience of working together to put on a play in a professional theatre," said SSFSA Southern Cape coordinator Heather Stead.
"We have plays in Afrikaans, modern English and a play in isiXhosa. It is a celebration of theatre, of our young talented actors and of the heritage that Shakespeare left us."
Camaraderie
The organisers encourage individuality and innovation, all the while fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie between schools, learners and educators.
Staging a Shakespeare play is undoubtedly a challenge for both novices and professional actors, and in light of this the SSFSA provides guidance and resources throughout the preparation process.
The SSFSA, now in its 11th year, is Africa's largest annual Shakespeare youth drama festival that strengthens the link between the arts and education. It unites and empowers children from across the socio-economic spectrum to use the power of theatre - and specifically the works of Shakespeare - to achieve that goal.
Tyholorha Primary had fun during the 2019 festival with their performance of The Taming of the Shrew.
Creative outlet
To date, the two-to-ten day event has seen the participation of more than 557 schools, over 10 000 youths and 693 educators across the country's provinces. Audiences this year have totalled close to 26 000 people.
As a creative outlet the SSFSA is an opportunity for young people, both at school and in amateur drama groups, to tap into the performing arts, explore their dramatic capabilities and unlock their acting potential in a stress-free and non-competitive environment. The SSFSA welcomes all learners without prejudice, including those with different abilities.
Book a seat
The weekend programme is as follows: George High and Siyakhona Youth Group (Friday); York High School and Imizamu Yethu Secondary School (Saturday) and Heidedal Primary, and Tyholorha Primary and Thembalethu High School (Sunday).
Performances start at 18:00; tickets cost R50 (adults) and R20 (kids). Book a seat through Computicket or phone the theatre in advance (with Covid-19 regulations only 50 seats are available per evening).
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