The National Theatre of Namibia, in partnership with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), has brought its production of ‘Bang Bang’ to television screens nationwide in a move aimed at making literature more accessible to learners.
The production, which is prescribed for Grade 8 English second-language learners, premiered on NBC 2 yesterday and will air every Tuesday and Thursday at 16h00 until 26 November.
Written by Chris Djuma and directed by Veronique Kuchekana-Chirau, ‘Bang Bang’ was first staged at the National Theatre earlier this year, where it was viewed by more than 1 700 learners, teachers and members of the public.
The television adaptation now extends the production’s reach beyond Windhoek, allowing learners across Namibia’s 14 regions to engage with the prescribed text from their homes and schools.
“By broadcasting ‘Bang Bang’ on NBC 2, we are ensuring that learners across all fourteen regions of Namibia can access this educational production, including those who were unable to attend the live performances in Windhoek,” said Desiree Mentor, Public Relations Officer of the National Theatre of Namibia. Mentor said the partnership between the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) and NBC represents an important step in expanding access to curriculum-supporting educational content.
“Our partnership with NBC enables us to take this production from the stage to television screens across the country, significantly expanding its reach and impact among Grade 8 learners,” she said.
According to NTN, the broadcast forms part of its efforts to support classroom learning through educational theatre and ensure that learners who were unable to attend the live performances can still benefit from the production.
The theatre said presenting prescribed literature through performance helps learners engage with characters, themes and language in a more visual and memorable way, while strengthening reading comprehension, interpretation, critical thinking and language skills.
“Educational theatre provides learners with an opportunity to experience literature beyond the page. Through performance, they are able to engage more deeply with characters, themes and language, which supports classroom learning and strengthens critical thinking skills,” Mentor added.
NTN noted that ‘Bang Bang’ forms part of its Prescribed Text Programme, which seeks to complement classroom teaching by bringing literary works to life through performance.
The organisation has encouraged education directors, school principals, heads of English departments and teachers to support learner participation throughout the broadcast period by creating opportunities for learners to watch and discuss the episodes.
“We encourage schools, teachers and parents to support learners throughout the broadcast period by creating opportunities for them to watch the episodes, discuss key themes and use the production as a study resource,” Mentor said.
Learners have also been encouraged to use the programme as an additional study tool by taking notes and reflecting on key themes and characters featured in the story.
The initiative comes as efforts continue to explore innovative ways of supporting education through arts and culture while expanding access to learning resources for learners across the country.
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