20 Aug 2023

First Lady Neo Masisi has praised the Botswana Schools Drama Association (BOSSDA) for nurturing young talent.

“It is crucial to cultivate talent. The students are able to assimilate and embody knowledge through drama,” Masisi said.

Speaking at the BOSSDA drama festival at Gaborone’s Maitisong Theatre on Friday, Masisi said the festival resonated well with President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Reset Agenda and the recently launched Mindset Change campaign.

Through their talent, the First Lady said, youth and pupils were in a better place to become change ambassadors. She also expressed pleasure at the display of the mindset change concept on stage.

Furthermore, Masisi challenged BOSSDA to be intentional when tackling mindset change issues.

Meanwhile, BOSSDA patron, Constance Male, said pupils learnt better through use of drama. She said a learning through drama research, which was carried out in 2009, pointed out that there was a significance difference between teaching readings through drama over traditional methods.

“Drama helps children to journey inside the story garden. Pupils who are directly involved in drama activities following readings are able to transfer their mental imaging skills to other readings,” Male stated.

She said such pupils were able to reconstruct the symbols, images and narrative sequences thus re-examining the story’s ideas, experimenting with them and learning to play with the narrative.

The festival brought together pupils from different schools to display their understanding of the Reset Agenda theme. They showcased and delivered messages talking to the mindset change

Some of the messages spoke to the young people regarding their way of solving issues as well as addressing the corruption issues in the work place. The drama plays also spoke of inclusivity, especially when it concerns people living with disabilities.ENDS