DIRECTOR of Purple Arts Productions and longstanding member of the entertainment industry, Simone Dowding, is gearing up to put on her signature show called ‘Emerge’ at the Theatre Guild in Kingston next weekend.

‘Emerge 10’ dubbed “a performance for children by children” will be held on Saturday, September 2, from 18:00 hours and it represents the culmination of a drama workshop that commenced shortly after school was closed in July.

During this time, the children were taught six disciplines of drama: acting, directing, playwright, costume management, stage management and property management.

“This is our 12th year, but only our 10th show because of the two-year hiatus of COVID,” Dowding told Buzz this week.

The workshop, which usually caters for children between the ages of nine and 16, also exposes them to the art of listening, stage breathing and stage geography. The children would typically write and direct their own plays for the show.

To make things a bit special this year, Dowding decided to bring back the first and second year students, whom she said wrote a new short play. They will be performing another one that they had written the first time they attended the workshop.

“I am really proud of Purple Arts Productions because it really contributes to helping to mould the foundation of the children who have turned out very well in various professions,” Dowding expressed.

Two University of Guyana interns (Shimeka Paul and Faith Stephanie) are assisting with the production of the show, and the ‘Latchman trio’, a brother and his two sisters, will be doing some Indian dances.

Dowding has observed that, with each passing year, people are becoming more and more interested in children’s drama and are coming out to support them. In fact, the sitting First Lady has attended the productions over the years.
Dowding has said that through the workshop, she helps the children to build a good foundation in terms of their skills, confidence and self-esteem.

“They come with their talent; I just nurture it,” she said.

So far, she’s seen positive results coming out of the workshop. About four of the children now act in Merundoi, and about six are doing plays, advertisements and movies.

Explaining how the workshop all got started, Dowding recalled that she wanted to do something in theatre after being trained for many years. She eventually formed her company with the introduction of the children’s workshop.

Children pay a small tuition fee, but those who cannot afford it are still taken in by Dowding who said she has a fondness for children.

Having graduated from the E.R Burrowes School of Art and other institutions, she ended up with a total of 13 certificates and won Theatre Guild’s Best Actress Award in 2012 for the play ‘Old Story Times’.