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Search forDerby teacher helps African school land prestigious award
Wednesday, October 01, 2008, 07:30
David Owen taught creative and aesthetic art at the Kamuzu Academy, in Malawi, when the school was nominated for a Diana Award.
The honour is designed to be a lasting celebration of the late Princess of Wales.
It was set up in 1999 and recognises the positive contributions made by young people and schools across the country to their schools, communities, families or friends.
The Kamuzu Academy was nominated by a Brit who watched its students performing two Shakespeare plays to villagers – despite English not being their first language.
The performances were part of a challenge issued by the Shakespeare Schools' Foundation earlier in the year to mark the 444th anniversary of the playwright's birth.
Mr Owen, 54, taught at John Port School in Etwall, Chellaston School and Ripley's Mill Hill School before moving abroad to teach in 1999.
He chose to adapt A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet for his pupils in Malawi.
He said: "We believe this was the first ever performance of Shakespeare in Malawi and it was done by children who did not speak English as a first language.
"We invited local villagers to attend the performances, as well as local primary and secondary schoolchildren.
"The plays were costumed in traditional Malawian dress because both plays are synonymous with Africa today – tribalism and belief in the use of magic.
"Many of the audience had never heard of Shakespeare and none had seen a play performed but the performance was greeted by laughter, clapping and a standing ovation."
More than 2,000 schools across the world took up the Shakespeare challenge but Kamuzu, in Kasungu, a district in the central region of Malawi, was named as a "beacon school" – an example to others.
This meant that the academy could showcase the challenge in Africa and encourage and guide other schools taking part.
Kamuzu received the Diana Award for promoting cultural harmony and engendering a positive spirit within the community.
"I was very proud of the children and what they achieved," said Mr Owen.
"Their performance was super and some of the students matched the talents of children who have performed for years.
"I was the director of the two performances and I loved every minute of it."
Mr Owen was born in south Wales but moved to Derby in 1980, when he was 27.
After teaching in the Middle East and the Caribbean, he moved to Malawi in January 2007 to teach drama, photography, film and computing.
He left in June this year to teach at Day Waterman College, in Nigeria.
Mr Owen was also a youth director of the Derby Playhouse Youth Theatre, between 1996-7, working alongside Pete Meakin and Terry Smith.
When he returns to Derby, Mr Owen lives with his sister, Rhian, at Vivian Street, Chester Green.
"I moved abroad because I wanted to try something new," said Mr Owen.
"I wanted to see the rest of the world and I've never looked back.
"The culture in these countries is so dynamic and exciting."
EXCITING: David Owen
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