Between March 3 to 6, 2026, four Upper Grand District School Board secondary schools participated in the Waterloo-Wellington NTS DramaFest, an annual theatre festival that brings together student productions from across the region.
Students from Erin District High School, John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, Norwell District Secondary School, and Westside Secondary School were recognized with several awards celebrating achievements in playwriting, performance, design, directing, and production.
Erin DHS received:
-
Award of Merit - Galen A., Original Creative Concept for A Story About A Man Named Richard
-
Award of Merit - Lucille W., Emerging Playwright for Delusions
-
Award of Excellence - EDHS, Most Effective and Playable Set for A Story About a Man Named Richard
-
Award of Excellence - EDHS, Commitment to Character Integrity for Delusions
John F. Ross CVI received:
-
Award of Merit - John F. Ross CVI, Excellence in Script Interpretation for Here's What You Missed
-
Outstanding Direction - Quincy K., and Grace M., for Here's What You Missed
-
Outstanding Production - John F. Ross CVI, Here's What You Missed
Norwell DSS received:
-
Outstanding Design - Norwell DSS, darklight
-
Spirit Award - Abby S., for darklight
-
Award of Merit - Norwell DSS, Innovative Choreography and Movement for darklight
-
Outstanding Production - Norwell DSS, darklight
Westside SS received:
-
Outstanding Stage Management - Lucas S., for They're The Only Ones We've Got
-
Award of Merit - Westside SS, Use of "Play" for They're The Only Ones We've Got
-
Award of Excellence - Westside SS, Adaptability to a New Space for They're The Only Ones We've Got
With their Outstanding Production awards, both John F. Ross CVI and Norwell DSS will advance to the NTS Regional Festival in Gravenhurst, Ontario this April, where they will compete for a spot at the provincial festival. John F. Ross CVI is set to perform on April 15, 2026, followed by Norwell DSS on April 16, 2026.
Congratulations to all students and staff who were involved in this festival and good luck to the teams who are advancing to the Regional Festival.
