While Mzumara agrees there are plays in the competitions that portray Malawian stories—even if they are in English—he laments the unqualified judges who get bribes from some of the schools who then go on to win. “Whether it is due to poverty or the unstructured way in which the competitions are judged, I don’t know,” he says. “But I prefer drama festivals because at a festival people just present what they know without corrupting anybody.”

Mzumara raises the question of credibility when it comes to the competitions, something that has been debated in many circles and has even led to controversy in the media. This point raises a second question, though. Are theatremakers making note of what plays win and then using that formula to appeal to the judges when they compete? Could this be why most theatremakers have come to think of the ATEM model as the “winning model” and have adopted the same approach? If so, this may explain the monotony in performance style in Malawian theatre.

The controversies in competitions have led some artists to think that there should be no more competitions and instead schools should be invited to participate in the festivals to showcase their work. Likongwe says, “Competitions do little to improve theatre. Of course people prepare and improvements happen. But that is to a smaller extent.” While the main limitation of the festivals is a lack of funding—which means that only a few groups are invited to participate—Likongwe adds that festivals should find a way to play a bigger role in the development of artists, including offering workshops and training so that young theatremakers can gain experience and mentorship in other forms of theatre.

Now that we understand the limitations of the dominant competition model, what is the best way to raise the next generation of theatremakers in Malawi?

Bright Chayachaya, one of Likongwe’s former students, agrees. He believes that festivals are the way to go as they level the ground for artistic expression and criticism. In a competition, people are there to win regardless of quality, which means they would do whatever it takes to win. “Each time in a competition we have seen and heard people complaining that the judges were unfair,” he says. “On the other hand, at festivals, we simply appreciate art in its entirety.”