Region Four tackles serious topical issues
St. Barnabas’ Triston Welcome with ‘Violence on the Rise’
St. Barnabas’ Triston Welcome with ‘Violence on the Rise’

–as Children’s Mash Dramatic Poetry, Calypso competition enters Day Two

THE Children’s Mashramani Dramatic Poetry and Calypso competition for Region Four(Demerara- Mahaica)continued on Monday at the National Cultural Centre, with students from secondary schools tackling many current issues in their performances.

Christ Church Secondary’s Donalee Da Silva doing ‘We is 48 now’

Schools from across the region came out in their decorative and demonstrative costumes, creatively addressing several issues such as suicide, homelessness, crime and violence, domestic abuse, self-esteem and unity.

Centered around the theme, ‘Let’s cooperate and celebrate Republic 48’, the event got off to a rollicking start as cheers filled the auditorium as students and teachers supported representatives in the dramatic poetry segment, brought to life with various props and impersonations.

Copping first place in the 11-13 Category was Christ Church Secondary, represented by Donalee DaSilva, who took the audience back in time with her piece, ‘We is 48 now’.
Other noteworthy performances came from New Campbellville Secondary and Charlestown Secondary, which placed second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, in the 14-17 Category, Niasha Beckles of St. John’s College won the crowd over with her piece on homelessness and its causes entitled, ‘Scorn: You don’t live on my street’.

Coming close behind were Allyah Moore of North Ruimveldt Secondary with ‘Long time Mash in Guyana’, and Wayne Henry of St. Joseph’s High.

In the next segment, the children filled the auditorium with the sweet, afro-Caribbean beat of calypso as both the performers and their back-up singers danced and sang for the judges.

St. John’s Niasha Beckles doing ‘Scorn: You don’t live on my street’

Dressed in bandages and sporting an array of bruises, Triston Welcome from the St. Barnabas School snatched the first place prize in the 11-13 Category with his performance, ‘Violence on the Rise’.

Other enactments came from South Ruimveldt and Charlestown Secondary, which placed second and third, respectively.

Meanwhile, Kishon Noel of South Ruimveldt Secondary, the final performer for the afternoon, proved that the last can indeed become the first after he won in the 14-17 Category with the piece, ‘Own this Mash’.

Coming in second were ‘Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired’ which encouraged the audience to treat persons equally despite their disabilities, and third, a piece on The effects of Suicide’ from Lodge Secondary School.

The Children’s Dramatic Poetry and Calypso competition is an annual event organised by the Department of Education.
The finals of the competition when schools country-wide will compete, is set for February 16, 2018.

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