Doug Hill Schools Drama Festival hits Masvingo

Masvingo’s Charles Austin Theatre will be hosting the first edition of the Doug Hill High Schools Drama Festival on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 August 2017.

The festival is to honour 70 years of theatre by veteran Doug Hill, who was one of the pivotal figures of the development of theatre in Masvingo.

This year’s edition of the festival will include over 15 high schools from in and around Masvingo.
Nhimbe Trust of Bulawayo are supporting the festival by bringing in two Bulawayo theatre heavy-weight high schools, Eveline High School and Gifford High School. From Chiredzi, Hippo Valley and Masvingo the following schools will participate: Masvingo Christian College, Rufaro High School, Victoria High School, Zimuto High School, Shingirirayi College, Dewure High School, Madzivanyika High School, Berejena High School, Pamushana High School and others.

Two professional adjudicators will preside over the competitions where 11 awards will be up for grabs.

Veteran theatre practitioner DOUG HILL formed the Fort Victoria Drama Circle, which went on to be called the Masvingo Drama Circle after independence. He was one of the pivotal figures in the advocating for the construction of the Charles Austin Theatre, and has been a key figure in play productions and administration there since.

Because of such an amazing theatre profile and his work with youths that the Masvingo Theatre and Arts Club – the executive committee which runs the Charles Austin Theatre – felt compelled to honour his legacy through a Drama Festival that will work directly with high schools, and grow to include pre-schools and primary schools. During the festival Doug Hill will be presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the Charles Austin Theatre.

NHIMBE TRUST support falls under their programme Children in Theatre & Television of which some students from Eveline and Gifford High Schools are a part. The Women in Theatre & Television and Children in Theatre & Television programmes are supported by Africalia, Belgium, which works to develop the arts widely in Zimbabwe and the world.

Nhimbe Trust presser