An artist performs at Derik Cultural Festival. (Photo: Derik Cultural Festival.)

The Second Edition of Derik Cultural Festival has recommended that late Derik Uya Alfred should be considered one of the heroes and heroines of liberation struggle who contributed to the founding of the country.

Derik Cultural Festival started on November the 10th and concluded on the 18th – at the University of Juba, School of Art and Humanity Theater.

The event is organized annually to commemorate the role of the late in the art industry in South Sudan.

On Friday evening, academia and cultural experts reflected on the legacy of Derik – the former director of Kuwato Cultural Center and Troupe – who passed away last year – after a long journey of “selfless” efforts in the fields of culture and drama in Sudan and South Sudan.

Atem Simon, the president of Derik Cultural Festival says Derik is undoubtedly among the liberators of the country.

“We are celebrating Derik Uya Alfred as one of the greatest South Sudan sons who contributed to the great project of liberation,” said Atem while speaking during the closing day of the festival in Juba.

“That is why we said Derik should be put as one of the liberators without any doubt.”

“If you are talking about 1950^th and before the time of Santino, and another group who contributed like William Deng Nhial and Joseph Udoh and those of Joseph Lagu and others in this list,

“Derik Alfred must be there when we talk about liberators and nation building, we should include everyone, artists, Engineers, and medical doctors.”

Professor Mohamed Abdulrahim Gurni is a Sudanese arts specialist who came from Sudan to participate in the Festival.

He has requested the administration of the University of Juba to rename the university theater after the late Derik.

“With the audacity of confidence and reassurance, am asking the University of Juba  to name this theater by Derik Alfred theater, that is my request from the administration of Juba university and they put it under consideration,” said Abdulrahim Gurni.

“Derik is an example of the committed artist, whether in North or in South Sudan, also we consider him as one of the champions of hardship time there in Khartoum.”

Afred Uya Derik died aged 59 in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on 19^th October 2021.

He was famous during his management of the Kuwato Cultural group, a model of campaign for a peaceful coexistence between the components of Sudanese society in the north and south – in the nineties.