Theatre for Development; A Methodology for Community Work.

Abstract

Theatre for Development or Extension Communication practitioners are constantly faced with the challenge of making theatre understandable and beneficial to the target audience. Theatre as a methodology takes into consideration the varied backgrounds of the audience, the situations on the ground, the culture and language of the people and other factors that facilitate effective communication through a participatory approach. This paper may be of some help to those who are interested in using theatre methodologies for community research work. Theatre for Development seeks to build a bridge between the Arts and other disciplines. It offers a flexible space for experimentation, data analysis, participant-observer interaction and collaboration. It is a methodology for “the people by the people”. It is a unique methodology that uses theatre, including popular theatre, as a form of language and instrument of communication for both the “lettered” and the “unlettered”, the “literate” and the illiterate”, the “formal: and non-formal”. This paper seeks to critically examine the various stages of the processes involved in Theatre for Development.