No fewer than 10 schools in Bauchi State will participate in the 8th Edition of the Children’s Creative Station Workshop organized by the National Theatre Troupe of Nigeria (NTN).
Mr. Ahmed Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of the NTN, stated this at the inauguration of the competition on Monday in Bauchi.
The event with the theme: “Unity in Diversity,’’ was designed to enhance creativity in arts among adolescents.
The competition was in collaboration with the state Ministries for Education, Tourism, and Culture, and supported by UNICEF and North East Development Commission (NEDC).
Mohammed said that the competition would be conducted from Sept. 13 to Oct. 3, adding that, “Children are engaged during summer holidays with the view to discover talents and creativity in the area of performing art.
“The program has targeted children and teens between five and 18 years of age, whose imaginations, talents and creativity are nurtured, developed and appreciated.”
Mohammed said that the workshop would build the capacity of participants with the aim to develop performances based on the edition theme.
In her remarks, Ms. Pamela Udoka, Director of Technical and Production Services of the NTN, said that participants would be monitored while in school.
Pamela said that the activity would commence with a three-day workshop, the elimination stage, and the grand finale.
“The workshop will be held few days before school resumes; they commence rehearsal with the schoolmates.
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“The elimination stage will be on Sept. 30 and then the finalist will perform on Oct. 2,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr. Tushar Rani, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, lauded the initiative, saying that the competition was an opportunity to address the needs of society.
Rani said that the state recorded 1.2 million enrolments annually into primary schools, adding that only 200,000 transit to junior secondary schools and 130,000 remain in secondary schools.
He said that the transition rate was less than 30 percent in the state.
According to him, investing in adolescent education has become paramount.
He urged for collaborative efforts to ensure that transition to completion of primary to secondary school education improved.
