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Centre for National Culture launches StuDraFest 2026
The Centre for National Culture (CNC) in the Eastern Region has launched the maiden StuDraFest, an annual drama festival aimed at nurturing creativity, confidence and advocacy skills among Senior High School students through the performing arts.
The initiative sought to provide students with a platform to showcase their talents and craftsmanship while using drama as a tool to address critical social issues affecting communities.
Launching the festival in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Director of the CNC, Dr Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, said drama offers students opportunities to explore their abilities in many ways, including developing companionship, building confidence and learning to advocate for positive social change.
“Drama is a powerful tool that can be used to solve social problems. Through this festival, we want students to appreciate our culture and norms and positively influence their communities,” she said.
According to Dr Alhassan, the festival was a revival of an initiative that began in the 1990s and brought teachers and students together under one umbrella to use drama and theatre to address community problems and promote culture.
She noted that reviving the event would help the country reflect on areas that require improvement while nurturing students into future advocates and leaders.
“When it comes to advocacy, students often do it better than adults. We want to train them to become actors of future advocacy who will in turn nurture others from generation to generation and preserve our values and cultural norms,” she said.
She said StuDraFest forms part of students’ extra-curricular activities and would expose them to drama, visual arts and other performing arts disciplines.
Dr Alhassan added that there was ample evidence that children thrive in vast learning environments and that participation in drama helps overcome timidity, opens their minds and improves their confidence.
She noted that initiatives such as StuDraFest could have been effectively used during the COVID-19 pandemic to educate communities and promote behavioural change.
The Regional Director urged patrons to dedicate themselves to training their students adequately to ensure impressive performances during the competition.
StuDraFest is designed to enable students to write, direct and perform original plays aimed at preserving, developing, promoting and disseminating Ghana’s cultural heritage, fostering national unity, shaping the identity and future of the youth, creating wealth and projecting Ghana’s identity globally.
The Head of Performing and Literary Arts at the CNC, Mr Emmanuel Nyarko, took patrons through the competition guidelines, requirements and awards to be presented based on the performances of participating schools.
A workshop was also organised for participating schools to equip them with the necessary information on the competition.
A total of 11 Senior High Schools are expected to participate in the Eastern regional contest. They include Pope John’s Senior High School, Oti Boateng Senior High School, Oyoko Senior High School and Koforidua Senior High Technical School, among others.
The competition is scheduled to take place on July 23 at the main auditorium of the Centre for National Culture in Koforidua.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
About 200 company secretaries, governance professionals and institutional leaders will gather in Accra for the ‘Company Secretaries Summit’ next month.
It is aimed at strengthening governance practices and enhance boardroom effectiveness across the country.
The summit, which is scheduled for July 16 at the Labadi Beach Hotel seeks to equip governance professionals with the knowledge, skills, and networks required to navigate the increasingly complex demands of modern corporate leadership.
It will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions focusing on emerging governance trends, boardroom dynamics, regulatory compliance, digital transformation, and stakeholder expectations.
According to the convener, Catherine Engmann, the summit comes at a critical time when governance professionals are under growing pressure to support sound decision-making, strengthen governance culture, and respond effectively to changing institutional and regulatory environments.
“This gathering is not just another conference. It is a platform for governance leaders who are already operating at the highest level and intend to stay there,” she said.
She noted that the programme was designed to provide participants with practical tools, fresh insights, and valuable professional connections.
According to Ms Engmann, a major highlight of the event will be the awards ceremony, which will recognise individuals and organisations that have demonstrated excellence in governance practice and made significant contributions to improving board effectiveness and corporate accountability.
She mentioned that the summit will also offer participants an opportunity to benchmark their practices against industry standards, exchange ideas with peers, and explore innovative approaches to governance challenges.
Beyond the formal sessions, the event is expected to foster networking and collaboration among governance professionals, helping to strengthen governance practices across Ghana’s corporate and institutional landscape.
Speaking about the vision behind the initiative, Ms Engmann, said the summit was inspired by the need to create a dedicated platform that recognises the critical role played by company secretaries and governance professionals.
According to her, the Company Secretaries’ Summit and Awards reflects her conviction that Ghana’s governance professionals deserve an annual platform where they can engage in meaningful discussions, build strategic relationships, and receive recognition for their contributions to effective governance.
Registration for the summit, she said was currently open, with interested professionals encouraged to secure their participation ahead of the event.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
-1 cup dried soya beans
-4–5 cups for water (for blending)
-Extra water for soaking
-Sugar, honey or dates (optional, for sweetness)
-Vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation
-Pick through the beans to remove stones or damaged seeds and rinse thoroughly
-Place them in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least eight hours or overnight to soften it to blend easier
– After soaking, rub the beans with your hands as the skin begins to remove
– Removing the skins helps reduce the ‘beany’ taste and improves texture
– Put the soaked beans into a blender with 4–5 cups of clean water
-Blend until smooth and milky. (You may need to do this in batches depending on your blender size).
– Using a clean muslin cloth or fine sieve, strain the blended mixture into a pot. (Squeeze well to extract as much liquid as possible).
-The leftover pulp is called okara. Don’t throw it away — it can be used in baking, porridge, or even added to stews.
– Place the strained milk on medium heat and make it boil. Stir continuously to prevent burning or overflowing.
– Allow it to boil for at least 20–25 minutes. Proper boiling removes the raw taste and neutralises natural compounds that can upset the stomach.
-Once boiled a little sugar or honey. Pulse.gh
Health benefits of Soya beans
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