The grand finale of the DJ Bullock Inter-School Theatre for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Contest among secondary schools in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State, organised by the DJ Bullock Endowment Fund Committee, in collaboration with the Educare Trust, took place last Thursday, July 25, at the Assembly Hall of Government College Ibadan, Oyo State.
The main aim of the contest, according to the Programme Director of Educare Trust, Mr. Folorunsho Moshood, was to continue the legacy of Mr Derek John Bullock, a former principal at Government College, Ibadan, who was known for his theatre productions, in conjunction with St. Anne’s School, whose principal he later married.
This theatre contest is just one out of three areas of interest to the DJ Bullock Endowment Fund Committee under the phrase, ‘Whatever DJ Bullock Would Have Loved To Do.’
The contest also aimed at improving the knowledge and understanding of the participating students on issues around the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the medium of drama, while improving the language, critical thinking, communication and performance skills of the participating students, as well as creating a space for discovering, grooming and developing artistic talents in playwriting, acting, stage directing, set designing, stage managing and costuming.
Moshood concluded by saying that students were encouraged to write, direct and stage-manage their playlets with minimum supervision from their teachers.
The programme officer of Educare Trust, Mr Raphael Afeyodion, explained that the qualifying round of the contest that featured eight secondary schools which took place between June 19 and 25, at the various halls of the eight schools.
The contesting schools, according to him, are the Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan Boys High School, St. Teresa Secondary School, Oke Bola Comprehensive High School, Celestial Church of Christ High School, Adifase High School, Queens School and Government College, Ibadan. At the end of the qualifying round five finalists emerged, and they are Queens School, Government College Ibadan, St. Teresa Secondary School, Oke-Bola Comprehensive High School and Celestial Church of Christ High School.
At the grand finale of the contest, all the five finalists performed creditably well, and according to Professor Bode Sowande, the Chairman of the three-man panel of judges, “all the five schools presented talented actors who did well on stage today, but a winner must emerge.”
Professor Sowande, on behalf of the panel that comprised Mr Taiwo Ibikunle, a Nollywood actor, and Mr Jav Fredricks Imoni, a Nollywood movie director, later announced the result of the contest, in which the Government College, Ibadan emerged the overall winner, while Queens School and St Teresa Secondary School emerged the first runner-up and second runner-up respectively.
Book vouchers redeemable at Mosuro Booksellers Limited were presented to the three schools by the Chairman on the occasion, the project director of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Mr Yanju Adegbite.
Other dignitaries who watched the performances of the 5 schools are Mr. Kolade Mosuro, the CEO of Mosuro Booksellers Ltd, Arc. Sunkanmi Onadeko, the Secretary of Educare Trust, Mrs. Monica Mosomi, the Administrative Secretary of the DJ Bullock Endowment Fund and Mr. Banwo Smith, a member of the DJ Bullock Endowment Fund Committee.
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