The City of Cape Town’s Environmental Resource Management and Water and Sanitation Departments hosted the 7th Drama Festival for High Schools in partnership with the Baxter Theatre Centre in 2015. The Theatre Arts Admin Collective coordinated the Festival.
The Festival was known as the YES Environmental Drama Festival but is now called the Smart Living Drama Festival. The focus of the dramas for the 2015 Festival was Water Conservation.
Justin Friedman was asked to add his diverse experience and skills to the team of judges to serve on the panel. There were 5 judges in total each with different areas of interest – from theatre to water and education.
13 schools were involved in the Festival programme. They attended skills-based workshops monthly since February, and the programme included a visit to the Water Treatment Plant in Faure. Each school presented a short (10 – 15 minute) play that aimed to raise awareness around water, its scarcity and our need to cherish and save it.
The Festival took place at the Baxter Theatre on Friday 31st July 2015. The Award Ceremony and Celebratory Lunch was held on Saturday 1st August. This was a wonderful moment for the young people to be acknowledged for the hard work and commitment that they had put into being part of the festival, as well as celebrate the teachers who held through a commitment in what is often extremely difficult circumstances.
