Bolgatanga Senior High School (BIGBOSS) will represent the Upper East Region at the national level of the 2026 Student Drama Festival (STUDRAFEST) after emerging winners of the regional competition held in Bolgatanga.
BIGBOSS secured the top position in a keenly contested competition, beating Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School (BOGISS) into second place. Sandema Senior High School (SANSEC) finished third, while Sirigu Senior High School placed fourth.
The victory now puts BIGBOSS in the spotlight as the school prepares to carry the region’s creative ambitions to the national stage.
Members of the winning team said they were confident going into the competition and are determined to build on the regional success with stronger preparations ahead of the national contest.
They said their immediate focus is to sharpen their performance, improve their delivery and ensure that their representation of the Upper East Region at the national level reflects the quality and creativity demonstrated during the regional competition.
For the organisers, however, the significance of STUDRAFEST extends beyond determining a winning school.
Students’ Drama Festival (STUDRAFEST) is an annual event in Ghana organized by the National Commission on Culture (NCC) and regional Centres for National Culture in partnership with the Ghana Education Service. It gives Senior High School students a platform to showcase original plays, build theatre skills, and address critical social issues while celebrating Ghanaian culture.
The Upper East Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Collins Ahmed-Edwards, said the festival is intended to expose young people to opportunities in the creative industry while helping them discover and develop their talents.
“This particular exercise is to empower youth in the drama field to become icons, playwrights, actors, and filmmakers.”
He said drama provides students with an opportunity to develop talents that could eventually translate into professional careers, although financial constraints limited this year’s regional competition to only four schools.
Mr. Ahmed-Edwards nevertheless noted that drama development continues beyond the annual festival, with drama clubs in senior high schools providing students with opportunities to nurture their talents throughout the year.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, also underscored the educational and cultural importance of the festival, describing drama as a platform through which young people can understand society, examine social issues and communicate powerful messages.
He further stressed the need to preserve and creatively reinterpret Ghana’s cultural heritage, while positioning the creative arts as an avenue for employment, entrepreneurship, tourism and economic development.
With the regional competition now behind them, attention turns to BIGBOSS and its preparations for the national stage.
The school’s victory offers the Upper East Region another opportunity to showcase its young creative talents nationally, while raising broader questions about the level of sustained investment needed to transform school-based artistic talent into viable careers beyond competitions.
Source: Bolgafmonline.com |102.7 MHz| David Azure| Bolgatanga
