The B.C. National Theatre School DramaFest is an annual event organized by the Association of British Columbia Drama Educators (ABCDE) to showcase secondary school drama productions from around the province. It provides opportunities for drama students to convene, celebrate each other’s performances, share ideas and attend high calibre workshops.

With more than 50 years of history, the ABCDE Provincial Drama Festival (as it was originally titled) initially operated within the B.C. Festival of the Arts, then independently for a number of years, then in partnership with Sears Canada Drama Festivals for six years, and now we are in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada. The ABCDE has divided the province into 18 Drama Zones. Ideally, each Zone organizes a Zone Drama Festival and the adjudicator selects an Outstanding Production to represent the Zone at the B.C National Theatre School Festival. Zone Festivals are held between November and March each school year. The Zones vary from being very active to inactive from year to year, therefore not all Zones will have an Outstanding Production at the B.C. NTS Festival.

Showcase Productions:
- These will be the Outstanding Productions from all of the active Zones.
In the event that the Outstanding Production is not able to attend the Festival, then the Alternate Production selected by the Zone Festival Adjudicator will be invited to present their production to represent the Zone.

Youthwright Performances:
- The ABCDE has a yearly playwriting competition entitled Youthwright in which students from around the province enter their one act original scripts for adjudication in January.
- The students who have been chosen as Outstanding Playwrights by the adjudication panel will be invited to present the production of their script at the B.C. National Theatre School DramaFest.

Adjudications for the Showcase and Youthwright:
- Students and teachers who have been involved in the productions will receive a private adjudication workshop.

Workshops:
- We offer a variety of workshops for the students and teachers during the Festival.

Social Activities:
- During the festival there are many activities organized to encourage the students to get to know each other and what's happening in their schools, towns and cities. On the final evening we have a large theme dance for all the participants.