Performance and Development: Theatre for Social Change (original) (raw)

THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THE DIDACTIC OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Over the years, theatre universally and unequivocally has been accepted to be as old as Man himself and it has come to be appreciated through its immense contributions in all facets of life towards the development of man. A play production can therefore be described as an interactive experience shared by two groups: the actors and the audience. However, this positive dimension of the profession has not been well utilized by many countries most especially third world countries. It was not until when the United Nations and its several organs such as World Health Organization (WHO), IFAD, United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), gave recognition to theatre as a veritable and potent tool of community development, empowerment and information dissemination that some countries like the Federal Republic of Nigeria stirred from its slumber and partly realized the importance of theatre in nation building. Even at that, the Government is yet to enact an enabling law that will guide the profession. This aspect of the profession is being continuously used by developed and developing countries to forge a synergy between the ruler and the ruled, promoting governmental policies to the masses and empowering them not to be indolent is Theatre for Development. (TfD) Several authorities have advocated the use of theatre as a tool of social transformation because it is a veritable means of getting man to reflect on his socioeconomic conditions and, consequently, initiate programmes that would pave the way for meaningful human development. Such authorities include Crow and Etherton Paulo Freire, Hagher. These authorities contend that the literary theatre is inadequate because it is usually the brain child of the individual playwright and that its focus is usually on artistic dexterity. On the other hand, theatre for development which is packaged by the people in a participatory manner based on the pressing problems confronting them usually concerns itself with issues of sustainable development in the community. To this end, members of the target community for whom the production is put together do not relate to the production from a distance but become active participants. TfD productions are usually performed free. This encourages large turn out of the audience. The language used is usually that of the target community. Even the extra verbal and non-verbal art modes of songs, dance, music, chant and mime are those peculiar to the target rural community. This way, the recipient of the artistic venture receives the entire experience as their own. Similarly, post production discussions build confidence in the audience as well a guarantee the participatory approach over the persuasive. Mda states thus: Whereas in persuasive communication, mass media are used to beam messages or directives encouraging people to support development projects, and to highlight benefits that may follow from these projects, in participatory communication the message can emanate from any point, and be added to, questioned, responded to, from any other point. The needs of rural communities are thereby taken into account, since the communities can initiate the process of communication, and do not merely consume and respond to messages from 'above' TfD is not a performance genre but a community approach using theatre as a means to analyze, discuss, and effect a positive social change in their environment. It provides full access to the medium of drama as a tool for community empowerment as it incorporates existing knowledge and cultural forms. It therefore challenges the standard convention of audience /

DEVELOPMENT ENTERTAINMENT: IDEOLOGY VERSUS THEATRE AESTHETICS

This work lays the background for understanding the emerging field of development entertainment as coined by Emmanuel Samu Dandaura in his seminar work " Development Entertainment in Nigeria: From indigenous to endogenous development". Development entertainment (DevEnt) is a development communication methodology which presents entertainment as a worthy human activity which can activate the creative (development) energies of its participants by relaxing their nerves and ultimately reinforce their capacity to mentally analyse and comprehend their society. The study contends that whereas Theatre for Development (TFD) seeks to integrate the people’s local artistic modes of expression (song, dance, etc) into the process of development discourse and performance, DevEnt promotes the people’s indigenous entertainment forms as avenues for mental relaxation of the individual from the stress of his daily existence in such a way as to free his mental faculties enough to allow him think constructively about how to improve his lot and that of his community. Development entertainment treats entertainment as a worthy creative development initiative in its own right which is culture dependant and requires careful planning and execution. Therefore, the overriding goal of Development entertainment is to ensure the activation of the creative (development) energies of its participants by relaxing their nerves and ultimately reinforcing their capacity to mentally analyse and comprehend their society. In a way, both Theatre for development (TFD) and Development entertainment (DevEnt) court entertainment and indigenous theatre aesthetics albeit in slightly different proportions. Traditional TFD process begins with the identification and prioritising of the development challenges of the partnering community and then tries to identify the appropriate indigenous theatre or communication media that can be used as vehicles to engender discussions on the prioritised development challenge(s). Thus the choice of workshop theme, timing and expected results are often set by the facilitators who may not necessarily be resident in the host community. DevEnt, on the other hand, keys into the community’s life cycle and calendar of festivals and other routine indigenous entertainment forms. The process begins with the people expressing themselves through their routine cultural performances and festivals while the facilitators, if at all they are externally located, serve as observant-participants. The external facilitator in this case takes the back bench in this mutually-beneficial learning process and allows the resident facilitator share his/her experiences through whatever cultural medium he/she is conversant with. The external facilitator participates by asking critical questions about the performance and development related issues that emerge therefrom. In trying to answer these questions, the resident facilitator is encouraged to take a deeper but objective look at the development challenges confronting his community. In the end, what emerges is a sharing of experiences between the two sets of facilitators in a way that strengthens the capacity of the resident facilitator to facilitate the use of such indigenous entertainment forms to advance group analysis of common problems facing the community on a continuous and sustainable manner. This often leads to development at the human level and invariably, also at the material level.

ON THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SAME: THEATRE, PERFORMANCE AND THE TORTUOUS PATH OF A NATION'S DEVELOPMENT

Nigerian Theatre Journal , 2010

For any art form to be used for development, it has to first develop itself. In this paper, I intend to problematise inherited definitions of theatre which exclude emergent performance forms and show ways in which they keep theatre perpetually underdeveloped and less likely to reach its full potentials in catalysing development in Nigeria. This enquiry therefore will go beyond merely adducing economic downturn as the reason for the execrable nature of theatre-going in Nigeria to underscoring how conservative reading of theatre and obsolete theatre studies curriculum in schools have metamorphosed into major co-culprits in making theatre underdeveloped. By analogy, one cites the fact that rather than asphyxiating theatre in the west, the proliferation of theories and ―post-theories‖ has catalysed a polyphony of performance genres that has enriched the resultant meta-theatre. Thus, aboard a ―paper canoe‖ of interrogating emergent recondite texts in other climes, my critical navigation in this paper, will course through the murky waters of our present non-existent theatre to the shore of advancing a further liberalisation of our art to acknowledging the fact that the emergent performances we see as different could still be the same theatre we know. Hence, this paper examines the possibilities of incorporating all strands of emergent performance traditions in Nigeria—video film, stand-up comedy, city festivals/carnivals, music/song performances, road shows/processions and the likes—through a liberalising of scholarly definition of theatre which will in turn occasion an overhaul of the theatre curriculum in schools; with a view to charting a multi-artistic course to making our society a better one for every one.

Re-Enacting Theatre for Development

The Journal of development communication, 2020

The concept of development communication is a clear pointer to the interrelationship between communication and development and the fact that the process of communication can be effectively applied to achieve development purposes. In development communication, the major aim of communication is to bring about the process of development. Theatre as a communicative art is a highly dynamic and powerful conscientisation medium, and as such, integral to communication, as it is to development, establishing its importance and unique role as an invaluable development communication instrument. Anchoring on the truism of the above statement, and reinforced by the participatory development communication model, the paper refocuses the Esuk Ewang and Ibaka Communities of Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria's Environmental Theatre for Development Project, to highlight the true nature of theatre in the context of development as well as the interrelationship between communicatio...

Theatre for Development Practice and Development Communication

This paper discusses the place of theatre as a tool for development communication. In this regard, the paper projects the potency of theatre in enhancing development and its role in influencing social change. The paper submits that, development starts with people and not with ‘goods’. It includes their education, empowerment and preservation of people’s cultural identity and all that enhances their well being and makes for a good life. Theatre for Development as a Strategic communication method is a powerful tool that can improve the chances of success of development projects. It strives for behaviour change not just information dissemination, education, or awareness-raising by Interrogating and possibly challenging traditional philosophies and visions of development where the top down model to development is replaced with the bottom up model in a bid to transfer the control of development to the target recipients of the intended development in a situation whereby the recipients become active participants - ‘spec actors’ not ‘spectators’, in the process and they – the people define how and when development happens. Key Words: Theatre for Development, Development Communication, Development

The Theatre and Sustainable Human Development: Fumes of Fuel and Boundless Love as Paradigms

The performing Arts encompass a wide range of disciplines which are invariably synonymous with creativity, thus, creativity is the hallmark of performance. For the sake of clarity, Performing Arts comprise Theatre Arts, Music, Dance and Choreography and the electronic media of Radio, Television and film commonly referred to as the audio-visual or media arts. Development is invariably measured by performance using certain indices. It is also part of the function of the performing arts to project development as well be evidence of development themselves. For instance, it is a sign of development to produce a play before an audience, particularly an audience composed of persons saddled with the responsibility of showing the direction for the development of a certain society. This paper will use the plays, Fumes of Fuel and Boundless Love to expound on the relevance of the Performing Arts in human and societal development.

Theatre and Development: Opportunities and Challenges in a Developing World

2010

This paper is an attempt at espousing the pertinence of theatre in national development, especially in a developing African nation-state like Nigeria. In doing this, the paper identifies and discusses the exploitable opportunities that go along with the deployment of theatre in enhancing national development. The paper concludes that theatre, in whatever form, has a vital role to play towards creating a strong, responsive and effective representative institution and in advancing the frontiers of development in any society, particularly in the African context.