Linguistic Constructions and the Development of Theatre in Uganda (original) (raw)

Theatre for Development in Uganda: The Case of Makerere-Kikoni Theatre Project

The Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, 2000

Introduction The use of popular theatre as a tool for development in Uganda is a relatively recent phenomenon. However, there have been theatre activities that could be viewed as precursors to today's popular theatre practices in the country. In 1946, the colonial officials in the Department for Social Welfare engaged in using theatre for development purpose; whereby, they toured the rural areas performing educational plays which were basically about agricultural methods and cattle breeding. This did not take long before the project was abandoned in favor of cheaper radio plays. In the early 1960s, the Makerere Travelling Theatre was founded. Its main aim was to do away with the elitist and urban nature of the theatre at that time, and take theatre to the people. They traveled to perform in places where no conventional theatre buildings existed and did not only perform in English, but also in several local languages. As Michael Etherton observes, "the aim was to shape the c...

Linguistic, Cultural and Structural Dislocation of African Theatre: A Critical Discuss

International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, 2019

The Balkanisation of the African space by western imperialists and the fostering on the African people a monstrously alienating and dislocated linguistic, cultural and geographical premise for existence has been very problematic for the Africans (1). Indigenous Language which suffered the most terrible blow from imperialism is an integral part of a people‟s culture. It is a cultural identifier of the African race, tribe, community or people. It enables identification, unification, belonging, bonding among other social-cultural considerations. Linguistically homogeneous societies share cherished cultural values and way of life ingrained in their art which reflects society. Taking into cognisance the fact that Language is one of the pivots on which communal interactivity, socialization, religion and other facets of societal life rests, it is logical to state, that the asphyxiation of a people‟s language as a means of expression is tantamount to the emasculation of their identity and e...

NAVIGATING LANDMINES AND PATHWAYS_ INTERROGATING NEW APPROACHES TO THEATRE MAKING IN NIGERIA.docx

The growing global economic uncertainties have in recent times been attended by a cutting down of costs by corporate bodies and families alike. In most developing economies, the perennial scaling down of budgets has meant dwindling provisions for leisure and entertainment. This accounts for the sharp drop in theatre attendance in most of these countries. In Africa where people are used to enjoying folk theatre performances in the open community squares for free, the idea of paying for tickets to attend theatre becomes more and more unattractive. The growing cases of global terrorism and general insecurity in most societies has made it even more difficult for families to see the wisdom in risking attending theatre productions at night, what more to spend scarce family income on tickets when there are cheaper and safer alternatives at home by way of cable television and soap operas. The theatre critic's job is in jeopardy if the theatre makers are not producing. Undaunted the theatre makers have been reinventing their audience engineering strategies and production approaches. This paper is an incursion into the new approaches theatre makers have adopted to keep their art and professionalism afloat in the face of persisting harsh social and economic realities.

Theatre as Tool for Development in Nigeria

Among the many communication tools available, theatrical representation is a favorite in many sub-Saharan African countries. Because of its festive, communal, realistic and concrete nature, it is almost impossible to avoid if you have a message to transmit to local communities – whether rural or urban. When we talk about theatre in the development context, we are obviously not talking about classical theatre, but rather about popular forms of theatre also known as street theatre, intervention theatre, or theatre for develop¬ment. The most popular forms of theatre for development are forum theatre, interactive theatre, and the theatre debate – all of which use similar techniques. One of the distinguishing characteristics of popular theatre is its social content. The troupes of actors are often local or regional. The villagers do not have to travel to see the performances, as the troupes come to the villages to perform. Within development, there is an increasing recognition of the need to hear the opinion of the people who are most affected by development. One response to this is ‘Theatre for Development’, which is a technique of performance and drama-building. It rests on an interaction between people who are in the flight path of development projects and those agencies who initiate them. This paper will examine theatre as a powerful tool of communication which enables people to contribute in the development of their society and thereby get involved in the search for solutions. Keywords: Africa, Communication, Development, Theatre, Enlightenment, Nigeria

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.

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.

Applied theatre from a Southern African perspective: a dialogue

Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 2015

In his opening address for the first annual Africa Research Conference on Applied Drama and Theatre, Warren Nebe, the director of Drama for Life i , rejected Philip Taylor's description of applied theatre as a peculiarly Western approach, arguing instead that 'applied theatre is part of African Theatre' (2008). Would you agree with this viewpoint, and is applied theatre the right term to use? CHATI I agree with Warren, in the sense that most of the applied theatre arts forms we use are rooted in African performance forms and rituals. I believe that most applied drama methodologies are an adaptation of African traditional rituals for a contemporary Africa. The processes which are used at the beginning of projects can be ritualised. For example in traditional storytelling sessions, people sit in a circle and the storyteller begins with certain chants to capture the attention of the audience. In most of the processes we start with similar approaches, to capture the audience's attention and to invite them into the make-believe world. When people are asked to get into the circle, they are asked to take off their shoes or wash their hands; these are symbolic gestures which are meant to bring them together into an intimate community. The term 'applied theatre' is the right term for this context, because the processes are about the application of drama and theatre techniques to bring about social transformation in real life contexts, as opposed to their use in the fictitious world of theatre. We take the art forms which the participants know, drawing from popular theatre approaches and the use of music and dance, and adapt them for the purpose of the project; but we are not making theatre as such. This is perhaps different to the western perspective regarding applied theatre; what we emphasise in applied theatre is the engagement in the process.