The Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival
kenya school college drama festival series student theatre competition kenya held january april year advancing local county regional stage national drama festival student primary school college take part total annual participation roughly five million student making biggest educational theatre event africa first school drama festival held root british colonialism modelled typical british drama festival higher education indigenous play first festival became hotbed radical theatre outlet protest kenya african national union kanu regime suppression theatre kenya first college drama festival took place primary school drama festival early primary secondary college festival integrated single event addition traditional stage play festival expanded include mode drama dramatised verse cultural creative dance added african storytelling narrative festival expanded include standup comedy modern dance mime film first school drama festival kenya held april princess gloucester school present pangani girl school nairobi time european asian school participated opiyo mumma note strictly modelled typical british drama festival higher education social base lay expatriate teacher inspector staff british council participating student play olkirkenyi written irishlanguage poet author brian ó maoileoin together student olkejuado secondary school rift valley province taught three year became first indigenous play win national drama festival kenya national theatre knt play love story set bush written kiswahili performed student olkejuado secondary school first evidence kenyan child participating festival brian ó maoileoin thought absurd never play one native language people performed drama festival vision olkirkenyi give stage kenyan youth language culture play mark beginning kenyan youth using play format incorporating indigenous language articulate social issue directly affected life olkirkenyi national school drama festival teacher interested scriptwriter wrote play issue affecting kenyan politics common theme mwangi gichora note festival became hotbed radical theatre however script written close supervision teacher student actor largely used mouthpiece put forward teacher opinion various issue tended make competition teacher consultant rather student former achieved fame play performed national drama festival joe de graft ran drama education course university nairobi argued drama become fully established school necessary train teacher practical skill theory theatre drama introduced college curriculum year following de graft appeal organiser incorporated college festival kenya african national union kanu government suppression theatre kamirithu production early serious repercussion development theatre kenya theatre viewed dangerous tool aroused people political consciousness sp otieno state article content value kenyan theatre educational institution critical review kenya school college drama festival theatre never supported kanu regime moi university introduced first performing art degree programme observed lack support teacher training college ttcs little preparing studentteachers drama director school worth noting kanu suppressed theatre country quietly rewarded ignored politics production especially school theatre wasambo first african inspector school charge teaching english introduced dramatised verse festival done ease overloaded music festival programme though music festival retained dramatic verse increased category accorded increased status acknowledgement traditional performance drama festival incorporating indigenous song dance separate category known later cultural creative dance traditional performance form supplemented scripted play festival initially playoriented particularly important enabled school teacher student could write direct play alternative form would use gain participation festival year introduced primary school drama festival student involved age eight twentyfive year college secondary primary school held festival separate term early festival integrated one annual event held first term school calendar january–april another change festival final stage departure kenya national theatre location would instead circulate different region previously province year exception north eastern region hostile weather banditprone road promoted theatre even area drama wellknown festival western kenya away capital adjudicator defied government including banned political play – makwekwe written tim wandiri performed kapsabet girl high school – gala performance judging winner festival adjudicator led micere mugo fled country uganda told state organ looking festival organisation added narrative derived african storytelling mode allow student express conscious changing cultural environs national drama committee included stand comedy modern dance mime film response demand young kenyan entertainment industry many year drama festival structured adjudicator decide performance earn advance stage starting lowest level zonal festival – involves school college zone immediate location institution managed local teacher education officer winning performer represent zone county level county drama festival – involves performance winner several different zone within county formerly district regional drama festival – involves performance county winner region created ministry education easy management interschool competition including sport music festival currently eight region lake region – county around lake victoria including kisumu siaya kisii homa bay county nzoia region – busia kakamega bungoma transnzoia west pokot county rift valley region – nakuru narok uasin gishu elgeyomarakwet nandi baringo laikipia turkana kajiado kericho bomet county metropolitan region – nairobi eastern region – meru embu isiolo tharaka–nithi kitui machakos makueni marsabit county coast region – mombasa kwale kilifi tana river lamu taita–taveta county northern region – garissa wajir mandera county central region – nyandarua nyeri kirinyaga muranga kiambu samburu vihiga migori nyamira county national drama festival – involves winning performance different region country structure allows many student possible participate theatre estimated total participation zonals national roughly five million student annually make single biggest educational theatre event africa culture kenya education kenya mumma opiyo drama festival movement drama theatre communication development mumma l levert ed nairobi kdea p mumma opiyo search kenyan theatre theory practice educational drama potential kenya unpublished doctoral thesis manchester university p otieno p content value kenyan theatre educational institution critical review kenya school college drama festival nairobi journal literature number december pp –