Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu, operated under the Public Service Media (PSM), has officially launched its 7th Radio Drama Competition, Kulavaru.
The Kulavaru competition was last held in 2018. The competition is being resumed after a six-year break.
The radio drama competition, set to be aired during the upcoming Ramadan, was launched at a special ceremony by the Minister of Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage Adam Naseer Ibrahim.
In his address at the ceremony, Minister Adam Naseer highlighted that the programmes and dramas produced by Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu are beneficial to the community. He expressed hope that similar dramas would be submitted for the competition.
PSM’s Chairperson, Aminath Namza expressed confidence that the radio drama competition would resonate with the community, much like Adu’s regular public programmes. She added that radio dramas have a unique ability to engage with listeners emotionally.
PSM’s Managing Director Ibrahim Nasreen emphasised the importance of radio drama as an old art form capable of conveying important messages to solve societal issues. He encouraged participants to produce dramas that raise awareness about the long-standing issues in the country.
“There have been important messages conveyed through drama. Drama is a powerful tool that can be used directly and indirectly to convey messages to the community,” he said.
Nasreen further said efforts would be made to enhance PSM’s content by including more Maldivian elements in the content.
The Kulavaru competition is open to government agencies, private companies, organisations, schools, colleges, and universities. The winning drama will receive the MVR equivalent of USD 1297 as prize money, while the runner-up will receive USD 973 and the third-place winner USD 649. Additional prizes will be awarded for other outstanding achievements.
The deadline for submitting applications is 3:00 pm on 23 January. Applications can be submitted in person at the PSM TV Building, via email, or by letter. Competition rules are available for download from PSM’s website.