Taking arts to the people

A total of 4,000 enthusiastic and captivated rural government secondary school learners in six regions had been thoroughly entertained over the past ten days with a knock out entrepreneurial educational stage play by Committed Artists of Namibia. Committed Artists of Namibia (CAN) looks forward to applying for more funding from the Namibia National Arts Council in July when the institution's next funding cycle in support of performing arts opens to also stage the same play at secondary schools in the other eight regions of the country. “We are aware of the fact that there are more than 800 secondary schools countrywide at which most learners constantly struggle with the entrepreneurial subject concept. The Porridge Queen offers all learners the unique and golden opportunity to practically experience and witness what a female street vendor created as a job for her own survival and to provide employment to youths,” said Frederick B. Philander.

CAN is also in the process to creating a puppet play with the same entrepreneurial content to be staged at all government, church and private primary schools in 2018, finances permitting. According to Philander, the artistic director of CAN and a former high school teacher, this flagship play of his company is also aimed at teachers and adults in the mostly culturally starving regional communities. “We need to continue momentum of the theater initiative to help improve the education standards in the regions to the benefit of all school learners and the nation. Most rural learners we have spoken to indicated they are struggling with the said subject,” Philander says.