Theatre, african cultural heritage recovery and tourism

Abstract

Cultural heritage is an aspect of study that falls under the broad definition of culture itself. Heritage constitutes the core elements that a people have embarked in their culture which is distinctively unique. The study of the cultural heritage of a given people is crucial for the understanding of identity, values, beliefs, political, anthropological and socio cultural foundations of a people and what they uphold as the basis and essence of their livelihood. Theatre (Drama) is the representation of a people’s way of life, and a form of communication that reflects the everyday lifestyle and essence of life from stage to an audience. In fact, it is the impersonation of life itself, enhanced through body extensions such as costumes, make up, dialogue and sound to tell a story. An exploration into how theatre could be applied to the enhancement of a people’s cultural heritage. How theatre could be used to recover almost the extinct cultural practices and how it could be used as a mechanism to boost the economy has not been fully explored. This paper will therefore focus on how theatre could be applied in the recovery and promotion of a people’s cultural

Heritage, and also to enhance community-based tourism.