Show Down at the 5th GRD Drama Competition

Twenty-four drama arts groups from across the city of Bulawayo participated in this year’s 5th Edition of the GRD Drama Competition, with only six groups making it to finals.

Hundreds of people descended upon the Bulawayo Academy of Music to witness a highly successful, fun filled and educational event.

"The teams have shown impressive consistency over the past three years and this year they pulled out all the stops and got rewarded for consistency and excellence," remarked Mr Mlibazi one of the shows regular attendees.

It was a delight watching the artists perform from beginning to end and then seeing which ones the judges picked to win the awards on offers.

The judges were much stricter at this level of the competition, and it was significant to have a judge all the way from Botswana, who brought in a new perspective and insights into the quality of the plays.

It was also extremely emotional to see the competitors supporting the artists who won.

Those who triumphed were so humble and overwhelmed that their work had been recognized. It was a testament to their camaraderie and character.

Even better were some of the most compelling plays the artists performed, showcasing ingenuity and creativity that made it very difficult for the judges to pick a winner.

However, ROAR Arts scooped up the winners' shield.

Last year’s winner, Langelitsha, was a close second and the third place went to Vanity.

Anisha from ROAR arts expressed that “We are overjoyed and, personally, I wasn’t thinking the trophy would land in our hands, but it did. I appreciate the role GRD has played in arts in youth as it keeps most of us out of trouble and we can focus on our careers”.

The winners of the 5th Edition of the GRD Drama Competition, get to travel to Botswana to perform at the Boteti Festival, making it the first GRD regional performance.

GRD's Coordinator was overjoyed at the success of the event and was thankful to “especially the dozen volunteers who helped make all this possible. They went above and beyond, providing our catering, hauling tables and chairs to and from the event, working in the background, directed parking and more”.

The event sponsors were the backbone of the event by supporting the youth arts groups in Bulawayo.

The GRD Competition is held annually and drama groups from all over the city are encouraged to participate as the programme is developing into one of Bulawayo’s major arts events.