THE WINNERS of the 2011 Stop Crime Drama Festival have been announced

The drama festival is a dynamic long-running event featuring youths penning, directing and performing their own anti-crime themed stage productions.

This community development project of the non-profit organisation Dramatists Against Crime, sponsored by the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund, was held at Polokwane in Limpopo last week.

The project was founded by playwrights Martin Koboekae and Julian Seleke-Mokoto at the Funda Community Education and Arts Centre in Diepkloof, Soweto, in 1997.

This project gives budding theatre people space and time to explore their talents.

The project helps participants to highlight crime's futility through music, drama, dance, poetry and prose.

It has also unearthed a number of stars, including Presley Cheweneyagae, the star of the Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi, whose play Cell Number 4 topped the charts several years ago.

Former convict Kere Nyawo, who stars in the SABC1 drama Zone 14, and whose play, Hola Majita, was the best production in the 1990s, is a product of Funda Arts Centre.

In all, 11 amateur productions were staged at the Library Gardens in Polokwane last weekend.

• Polokwane's Rising Sun Productions' Get Attitude, directed by Kwena Joel Tlhako, took the best production award.
• The best script accolade was given to the play Blood Tied, which was written and directed by Mashupe Phala of Ladimash Productions, who are based in Jane Furse, Limpopo.
• Ohentse Bodibe and Keoboka Gaokgwathe shared the best director's prize for the play Rice.
• The best actor award was shared by Lesego Chabedi and Christina Magoro.

• The most promising production award was given to the play The Avenger, which was directed by Phakgadi Kgaogelo.

Other plays that were staged include:

• Limpopo Creatures, which was written and directed by Steven Raseona of The Great Stars Theatre Group from Sovenga in Turfloop, Limpopo;
• The Infidel, which was written and directed by Tshepo Ratona of Youth in Trust, from Pretoria, Gauteng;
• Grade 12 - the Musical, which was written and directed by Thabang Ramabu of Kea Kgona Theatre Productions, from Seshego, Limpopo;
• Forgiveness is Alive, which was written and directed by Simon Mahomane of The Great New Horizon Theatre Group from Boyne, Limpopo;
• Road To Change, which was written and directed by Matome Rapetsoa of Mahuma Arts & Communication, from Polokwane, Limpopo;
• Next Sunday, which was written and directed by Godfrey Thobejane of Monnyth Arts House, from Pretoria, Gauteng; and
• Nasty Burn, which was written and directed by Mabulana Mohale of Kgatekho Art Productions, from Tzaneen, Limpopo.

Celebrities Paul Rapetsoa, Darlington Michaels and Seputla Sebogodi also attended the event.

The event is supported by Sowetan and is part of the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation's youth and community development projects portfolio.

Auditions were held in April and early May for youths from Gauteng, Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo.

Qualifying productions were helped by professionals who ensured that novice actors, playwrights, directors, stage managers and lighting designers fine-tuned their plays.

Stage, radio and television veterans Rapetsoa, Michaels, Sebogodi, Danny Jasson, Tina Mnumzana and Kholofelo Kola motivated the aspirant artists. Sebogodi and his band G Movement also performed their unique brand of Zion Christian Church-inspired gospel music.