Bolgatanga Senior High School has won the 2026 Student Drama Festival in the Upper East Region, earning the right to represent the region at the national competition.
Popularly known as BIGBOSS, the school emerged first in the regional STUDRAFEST competition held in Bolgatanga, beating three other senior high schools.
Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School placed second, Sandema Senior High School finished third, while Sirigu Senior High School took fourth place.
Students of BIGBOSS said their victory followed extensive preparation and expressed confidence that they could carry their regional success to the national stage.
Speaking after the competition, Upper East Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture, Collins Ahmed-Edwards, said STUDRAFEST is intended to identify and develop young people with potential in drama, filmmaking and other areas of the creative arts.
“This particular exercise is to empower youth in the drama field to become icons, playwrights, actors and filmmakers,” he said.
Mr. Ahmed-Edwards said the festival also provides students with opportunities to develop public speaking and other skills that could lead to careers in the creative industry.
“We can get writers out of them. We can get actors out of them and many more professionals,” he said.
He said the programme was intended to draw participation from schools across municipalities and districts in the Upper East Region, but financial constraints limited this year’s regional competition to four schools.
Mr. Ahmed-Edwards said the development of students’ talents would not end with the competition, noting that drama clubs in senior high schools provide opportunities for students to continue developing their skills.
In a speech read on his behalf by Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive Roland Atanga Ayoo, Upper East Regional Minister Donatus Akamugri Atanga said education should extend beyond classroom instruction.
He said drama and other creative arts could help students better understand society, examine social issues and communicate important messages.
“Our cultural heritage, too, provides a rich source of stories, values, traditions and experiences that can be preserved and passed on through the creative arts,” the minister said.
He called for greater efforts to help young people understand, preserve and creatively reinterpret Ghana’s cultural heritage for future generations.
Mr. Atanga also linked the development of the creative arts to employment and economic opportunities for young people.
“The creative arts and cultural industries have enormous potential to contribute to employment creation, entrepreneurship, tourism and economic development,” he said. “Programmes such as STUDRAFEST therefore deserve our collective support.”
He urged students to see the festival as more than a competition for trophies, describing it as an opportunity to discover and develop their talents.
The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council pledged continued support for programmes promoting culture, creativity, youth development and social cohesion.
For BIGBOSS, attention now shifts to the national STUDRAFEST competition, where the students say they intend to build on their regional victory and compete for the national title.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | David Azure | Bolgatanga
