Students to showcase benefits of literature

FOUR University of Goroka (UoG) students will be accompanied by their lecturer to showcase performative literature and its benefits to secondary schools in the nation’s capital for six weeks.
The four are part of the 2019 youth arts programme coordinated by the Moresby Arts Theatre (MAT).
The programme includes an intense six weeks where 700 grade nine students from selected schools in NCD will converge at the MAT grounds or their own school setting and learn the arts of performative literature, the art of storytelling, drama and theatre.
According to Dr Jane Awi, senior language and literature lecturer at UoG, the students would participate in theatrical techniques and receive information from NGO’s on cross cutting issues whilst learning these drama techniques.
“They then create groups and are assisted by our four students to create their own plays on themes of their choice, rehearse these and then perform these at the end of the six week at the MAT,” she said.
“What we will impart are the processing of Life Skills and Drama Skills (workbook recently launched); students who engage in this programme acquire leadership and discipline (time management); are creative and innovative (when developing scripts and drama projects); are spontaneous and effective in their communication skills and presentation; are more confident (in public speaking) and can articulate words correctly.”
Dr Awi also stressed that performative literature was more than just theatre.
The skills acquired changes students.
Boniface Alimba, a third-year student minoring in language and literature, said he could not express how much this course had helped boost his self-confidence.
“We have peer teaching in the classroom and this has helped me overcome a lot of my insecurities,” he said.
“I am a better person because of this course.
“I am very grateful to Dr Awi for her time in teaching us this performative literature course,”
Joining Alimba are Melissa Napmuku , Anderson Akipat and Zeenah Sil.
Sil, who was a key team leader in the recently concluded plays by Nora Vagi Brash –Which Way Big Man and Pick the Bone Dry, said; “Performative literature and creative drama has helped me improve my self-confidence and thinking ability.
“We have to memorise scripts so this in turn helps me memorise work for exams and I don’t struggle anymore”.
Dr Awi said last year her students were privileged to work and
interact with Queensland University of Technology students who were also invited for the same event.