STUDRAFEST will produce talent for national development – Peter Kofi Marfo

Mr. Peter Kofi Marfo, Ashanti Region Cultural Centre Director

KUMASI — The Ashanti Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Mr Peter Kofi Marfo, has said the Students Drama Festival (STUDRAFEST) is a deliberate intervention to produce creative talents for national development.

He was speaking at the Ashanti Regional finals of the festival held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Apatakesie Theatre of the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi.

The festival, instituted by the National Commission on Culture (NCC), is rolled out in partnership with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and implemented across the country by NCC's 16 Regional Centres for National Culture.

According to Mr Marfo, STUDRAFEST was introduced to move theatre beyond entertainment and position it as a tool for education, cultural preservation and job creation. “STUDRAFEST is not just a competition. It is a talent incubation programme. The actors, playwrights, directors and technical hands you see on stage today are the future creative workforce Ghana needs,” he stated.

The regional finals brought together eight SHSs from across the Ashanti Region to showcase plays centred on discipline, cultural values and youth development.

He commended teachers, patrons and heads of participating schools for investing time and resources in preparing their students despite logistical challenges, and thanked Nana Yaw Akuoko, Otumfuo Assinhene Sepaase, who chaired the event.

Mr Marfo appealed to corporate bodies, old students associations and philanthropists to support the Centres for National Culture to expand the festival and provide technical equipment for schools.

This year’s competition saw Fomena T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS winning the ultimate prize with their thought-provoking play, “The Treasure We Broke.” St. Louis SHS and Kumasi Wesley Girls SHS placed second and third respectively. The winning school will represent the Ashanti Region at the national STUDRAFEST festival in October.