Atem secures K2 million funding
Association of Teaching of English in Malawi (Atem) is set to return to the stage this year after its two-year break after securing a K2 million grant from Hornby Trust.
Atem President Dave Mpaso said Sunday they were ready to make a comeback in April with three activities lined up.
“It’s been a challenge, with Covid, to drive Atem and, at the same time, we were struggling with funding. We are happy that we have managed to secure the K2 million grant,” Mpaso said.
He said they would have, among other things, hold a theatre seminar and drama festival.
“We have written Ministry of Education and Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) to register our concern over poor performance of students in English examinations,” Mpaso said.
He said, through the theatre seminar, they want to have quality plays in Atem drama festival.
“We want to train teachers in script writing and production, directing and drama ethics and mechanics. We will start the seminar in the Central Region early next term. After the seminar, we will ask the schools to come up with plays based on what they will learn,” Mpaso said.
He said it was because of this reason that, this time around, Atem drama festival would take place only in the Central Region.
“We want to give some better prizes. We feel that schools spend a lot but get little in form of prize money. So, the understanding is that, this time around, schools will spend less on transport expenses,” the Atem leader said.
Atem is one of the platforms which have been vital in propelling theatre in the country.
Some of the renowned actors that are products of Atem include Du Chisiza Jr and Gertrude Webster Kamkwatira
