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The following is issued on behalf of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR):
The "Putonghua Festival 2006" organised by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) will stage a seven-hour public Putonghua drama performance by secondary students on Sunday (November 12).
Students from some 40 secondary schools will act in a play made up of 24 different stories, featuring some common scenes in Hong Kong, such as "queuing up", "kindergarten interview", "bootlegging at cinemas", "waiting to be seated at restaurants" and "getting off from work", etc.
The marathon is co-ordinated by the Theatre Space, which has also provided 26 hours of training in drama and Putonghua to participating students.
The show will be staged at the North Atrium, G/F Olympian City II, West Kowloon between 11am and 7pm.
To motivate students on stage, two awards, namely "The Best Performance Award" and "The Best Putonghua Performer Award", will be selected by a judging panel comprising Professor Zhu Chuan, Instructor I of the School of Continuing and Professional Education of the Hong Kong Institute of Education; Ms Tam Shing-chu, National Class One Performer and Instructor of the Language Centre of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and Mr Ho Hou-iun, local stage performer and Director of the Hong Kong Theatresport United.
Since 2003, SCOLAR has been organising annual large-scale programmes to encourage the use and practice of Putonghua. Apart from the drama marathon, a series of activities targeting students and teachers will be held during this year's Putonghua Festival, including: the Carnival for the Putonghua Broadcasting Programme, School Training -- Learning Putonghua through Music, Putonghua Debate Camp, Inter-varsity Putonghua Debating Competition 2006, Putonghua Competition (Hong Kong, Macau & Guangdong) -- Hong Kong Region, Seminar and Workshop for Learning Putonghua through Drama, Appreciation of the Putonghua Drama Performance -- "De Ling and Empress Dowager Ci Xi".
Established in 1996, SCOLAR advises the Government on language education issues and on the use of the Language Fund.
Ends/Friday, November 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:01
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