Windhoek — Last week the eighth Assitej-Namibia town-based centre was successfully established in the southern town of Mariental.

Facilitators, Richard Swartz and Verdahl Philander, worked with learners of Empelheim Junior Secondary School for the past month, during which time they formed a management structure and also taught learners in basic writing and acting skills.

"We are very happy with the talent we have discovered among the young people. They have created their own play, which will eventually be taken up in an anthology of youth plays by Assitej-Namibia," said Richard Swartz, who has been working on the programme for the past two years.

With the pending summer holidays on hand, the theatre programme has been temporarily suspended until the reopening of schools in January next year.

"We are looking forward to continuing with our work in the new year in establishing three more youth theatre centres in the south. Thereafter work will start on centres at the west coast and in the north of the country as part of the implementation of a national theatre structure in Namibia," said Swartz.

Karasburg, Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz have been earmarked for centres to be established in the south.

According to Swartz, the six other centres and the last in a series of 15 over a period of three years, are: Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Oupou, Oshakati, Rundu and Katima Mulilo.