By Ibrahim S.Bangura
Badrudeen Islamic Primary School located in Devil Hole, on the outskirts of Freetown has on Friday November 10th 2023, won the second edition of the Inter-Primary Schools Drama Competition organized by the University of Sierra Leone Theatre Group.
The school was awarded Le 5,000.
Through the competition, the USL aimed at reintroducing theatre to schools.
This year’s competition, which was held at the Ajayi Crowther Amphitheatre, Fourah Bay College, was themed: ‘Addressing Poverty in Sierra Leone.’
Dr.Kitty Fadlu-Deen, the co-founder of Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts, Oumar Farouk Sesay, a published poet, international writer and former resident playwright of Bai Bureh Theatre in the ’80s and Elvira Monica Bobson-Kamara acted as judges.
Samuel Sesay, a senior teacher of Badrudeen Islamic Primary School, said that it was their first time participating in such a competition. “Our school has never participated in such an event before. So, since it was our first time and we wanted to bring victory to our school. We decided to rehearse relentlessly. We were consistent in our rehearsals. We thanked God for not letting our efforts go to waste,” he said.
He thanked the organizers for introducing their school to such an event. “I am also thanking the organizers for giving this great platform to the pupils from the different schools across Freetown. We are hoping to participate in a similar competition,” said Kamara.
Mohamed Kerefala Kamara, a pupil of Badrudeen who won the title of best actor, encouraged parents to support their children to do creative arts. He said that creative arts always make them feel happy and it also builds their confidence. “Initially, when we started rehearsing, I was shy of talking even among my colleagues at school, but continuous rehearsals made me gain confidence in myself. Of over the 25 primary schools that participated in the competition, I was awarded best actor,” Kamara said.
Dr. Fatmatta Taqi, the Director of the Theatre Group, said that the event was also aimed at getting young people to contribute meaningfully to the development of the society and also for them to enjoy themselves through creative arts. “We are organizing this kind of event as a way of giving back to the community as University of Sierra Leone. At the same time bringing theatre back to the schools. This is one of the ways in which the children can develop love for one another. It will help them develop their mental ability thus focus on developing themselves instead of focusing on crime. It was good to see children who were healthy and creative. If children are to become good leaders tomorrow, we need to start preparing them now,” Dr. Taqi said.
The University of Sierra Leone Theatre Group is currently among the most recognized and celebrated theatre group in the Republic of Sierra Leone that comprises the three constituent colleges of University of Sierra Leone: Fourah Bay College (FBC), Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) and College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) formed to nurture students creative thinking and performance with the aim of “edu-taining” its audience on various topical issues nationwide and globally. We believe theatre is an instrument that gives every society the opportunity to interpret its problems and render positive transformation. Over the years, we have successfully staged numerous plays for well recognized and established institutions within Sierra Leone on different important themes. We are inspired by a collective team spirit to revive and sustain theatre in Sierra Leone; empowering young actors to think critically about the world around them, and to engage in constructive and creative self-expression.