Nakuru County Executive Committee Member for Education, Information Communication Technology (ICT), and e-government, Ms. Zipporah Wambui, has challenged teachers, thespians, authors, and poets to help students identify pressing issues that could be addressed on stage.
Wambui said if well utilised, drama festivals become useful to society and help set new standards of excellence on a global stage.
She said when such festivals address issues on early child marriages, female genital mutilation, wife inheritance, health, governance, and child rights, they become useful to the communities as they take such issues close to their hearts.
Speaking during a training workshop for pre-primary teachers in preparation for this year’s drama festivals, the CECM reiterated the crucial role that drama plays in mirroring pertinent issues in society.
The training brought on board more than 200 teachers and was conducted by the County Government of Nakuru, in collaboration with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals (KNDF).
The theme for this year’s event is “Leveraging Technology to Nurture Talent While Inculcating National Values for Socio-Economic Prosperity.”
The CECM further said Governor Susan Kihika was committed to supporting activities concerning education, especially at the pre-primary level, where Creative Arts nurtures the holistic development of learners at an early stage, adding that the administration was also focused on working with all stakeholders for the benefit of the residents.
“The learning experience in Creative Arts, an integrated learning area consisting of Art and Craft, Music, and Physical Health Education, is being structured to develop learners’ creativity and nurture functional aesthetic sensitivity, which in turn leads to the acquisition of skills useful in other learning areas and contexts,” the CECM added.
Ms. Wambui was happy that her department was working on public-private partnerships to spark revolutionary approaches to production, choreography, and teaching to ensure that learners who are on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will not only excel in their craft but also set new standards of excellence on the global stage.
The CECM affirmed that they will continue providing important opportunities to nurture Kenya’s rich, diverse, and vibrant creative talents, adding that the introduction of prime arts and comedy segments in nearly all television stations was a clear indication that art was a paying venture.
She observed that besides the performing arts, visual arts, and cultural heritage, Kenyans are producing films, videos, television and radio shows, video games, music, and books in addition to graphic design, fashion, and advertising subsectors.
Ms. Wambui indicated that the county government was making good use of the available theatre infrastructure to scout for emerging talent across the devolved unit and argued that the best way of encouraging progressive thinking and innovative ideas that could advance what is commonly called a ‘creative economy’ was cultivating young people’s imagination and creativity.
“The drama festivals will afford a platform for industry players and stakeholders to learn, share, and celebrate their diverse artistic creations in society,’’ added the CECM.
Ms. Wambui noted that it is crucial for counties to fully utilize homegrown talent in all their events as art was an expressive, non-threatening way to express inner feelings that could be difficult to explain through words.
Cultural experts have indicated that limiting culture to tradition and ethnography denies the nation the opportunities provided by the imagination, technological advances, rapid urbanisation, and the energies released by cultural interconnectedness.
The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival and Kenya Music Festival have long been important platforms for showcasing the rich diversity of talent among students in drama, music, poetry, film, and storytelling.
The festivals foster artistic expression, cultural identity, and national unity while also serving as a training ground for future talents in Kenya’s creative industries.
By Esther Mwangi