DRAMA FOR
DEVELOPMENT
Introduction to Important Terms
DRAMA/THEATRE
❖ This refers to all performance and expressive arts including songs,
dances, poetry, skits, mimes, riddles, proverbs, chants, story telling, life
stories and a lot more that can be performed collectively by people in
communities.
❖ Start thinking creatively and imagine possible forms of theatre!
❖ Identify the theater (performance art) you can actively participate
in.
D E V E L O P M E N T- S I M P L I F I E D
❖ A positive shift or change from one state to another better state
than the former one. This could be in any area of life.
❖ An improvement or betterment of life, as perceived by the
individual or community for whom it is meant.
❖ A good change that is initiated by an individual person or
community for the benefit of the individual or community. It has to
be good as perceived by the individual person or community. In some
cases the change can be initiated by another person or other people.
DEVELOPMENT
❖ Human development is the process of enlarging people’s choices
so that they can enjoy political freedom, human rights and selfrespect. They should also be educated and enjoy a decent standard of
living. These would empower the people to achieve their potential to
lead fuller and more productive lives … Creating a healthy and
educated society in which people participate freely in social, political
and economic decision –making. (UNDP, 2001:7)
COMMUNITY
❖ Community refers to a social unit larger than a small village that
shares common values. The term can also refer to people that are
closely knit together by common beliefs, intent, resources,
preferences, needs, risks, joys, celebrations, challenges. A community
is a unit! In ideal communities, what affects one member affects every
other member of the community . The interests are geared towards
the same direction. There is an element of oneness!
I N T E R NA L I Z E D O P P R E S S I O N
❖ This is when people believe that their potential is limited and
cannot go beyond what those in power over them permit. These
negative beliefs lower the self-esteem of the oppressed and make
them to be uncertain about their true identity. Internally oppressed
people sometimes speak negatively against themselves because of the
beliefs instilled on them by other people. When they start believing
negative facts about themselves, it becomes Internalized Oppression!
CONSCIENTISATION
❖ Conscientisation is a process of dialogue which enables the individual
to transform himself [sic] in relation to his fellows and to act critically
towards himself and society… It involves the active participation of
the people in transforming themselves by engaging in a dialogue
through which they identify their problems, reflect on why the
problems exist, and then take action to resolve the problems (Mda
1993: 45)
CONSCIENTISATION SIMPLIFIED
❖ Raising the awareness of an individual or individuals who have existed
in oblivion of the reality in which they exist;
❖ The reality may include possible opportunities and resources that
could be used to the advantage of the individuals;
❖ The reality may also include a wide range of capabilities that the
individuals already have within themselves and
❖ Once the individuals are aware of all this, they make the possible
changes they need to make their lives better.
PARTICIPATION
❖ Participation in this context refers to the total involvement of each
individual in the Theatre-for-Development activity, ranging from the
initiation and planning phases, as well as during and after the actual
Theatre-for-Development activity. The participants have a sense of
belonging to the community involved in the Theatre-forDevelopment process. Participation accords each individual the
opportunity to engage in decision making at various levels.
DIALOGUE IN COMMUNITIES
❖ When collaborative dialogue occurs, transformations occur. In a
Theatre-for-Development practice transformation happens as participants
articulate their opinions within the Theatre-for-Development practice in a
way that sometimes blurs the dividing line between performance and real
life situations. Harding confirms the occurrence of such transformation
within a practice and states, “at such transformative moments Theatrefor-Development achieves fulfilment in empowering people through their
personal experiences…”
V I E W S OF DFD SCHOLARS
❖ The articulation of sound is a demonstration of the right to speak.
People who feel themselves without power, do not speak, nor are they
given opportunity to speak to those who have power and who can
speak – the authoritative voice, the voice of authority. (Harding 1998:
14)
VIEWS OF DFD SCHOLARS - 2
❖ In this theatre, the actors are neither trained specialists nor outsiders
but ordinary people from the community in which the drama is devised;
❖ The narratives are based on accounts of real life situations which are
then fictionalised;
❖ The resolution to the dramatic crises within the drama is arrived at by
‘trying out’ ways suggested by either spectators or actors, responding to
the fictionalized characters, their relationships and their narratives
(Frances Harding, 2002: 19).
V I E W S OF DFD SCHOLARS -2B
❖ The articulation of sound is a demonstration of the right to speak.
People who feel themselves without power, do not speak, nor are they
given opportunity to speak to those who have power and who can
speak – the authoritative voice, the voice of authority. (Harding 1998:
14)
VIEWS OF DFD SCHOLARS - 3
❖ Theatre-for-Development [is] the practice by which theatre is put
at the service of the disadvantaged rural and urban poor for the
purpose of discussing and working out strategies for dealing with
their socio-economic conditions” (Abah 1990: 17).
V I E W S OF DFD SCHOLARS - 4
❖ Theater for Development is any performance or expressive art,
whose aim is to improve people’s lives. This starts with the
celebration and reinforcement of the good qualities of an
individual or a community. The betterment of life manifests
through the removal of undesirable elements of life and replacing
them with more desirable and healthy ones. It is neither for the
poor nor for the rich, but for every living being! (Dlamini – 2012)
DRAMA FOR
DEVELOPMENT
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0NfzmgNvSA
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I04FcfIVtcU
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCK3luJOHho
VIDEOS
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tdZqEO9guo
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tdZqEO9guo&list=RD5td
ZqEO9guo#t=241
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5xhWXzRFks
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_dXM8eVtk8&list=RDpso
PDvo0GMM&index=4
❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPszAxLjFSs
The Evolution of
Theatre for
Development
Performance Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
➢ Select team members you will work with in this course;
➢ Explain when performance arts have always featured in
African cultures;
➢ Retell the story of how Theatre for Development has
evolved in African countries and
➢ The role of a change agent.
The Evolution of Theatre for
Development
In Africa performance arts has always been part of the
people’s lives;
After childbirth another woman dances and
announces the arrival of the new born baby;
A young infant listens to lullabies and rhymes;
Rites of passage – marking the growth of an
individual from one stage to the next has always been
celebrated through performances
Marriage is full of performances
Death is celebrated through performances
Top Down Performance
with a Purpose
Promotion of literacy programs;
Promotion of healthy practices;
Promotion of new farming methods;
Top Down Development from the elite to the
peasants/ laborers/ poor etc.;
The lecture or preacher’s style was common in many
African countries, especially in the rural (countryside);
The recipients were not involved in decision making.
Performance with a purpose
- From the Grassroots
This Theatre-for-Development tool derives its theory and
practice from the philosophy of Paulo Freire which he
propounds in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The Freireian
program of adult literacy aimed at raising critical
consciousness of the people. Similarly, as a practice it
reflects the elements of Freireian critical pedagogy which
leads to transforming the adult learners from their fatalistic
docility and passivity to assertive action. It breaks the
boundary between the spectator and the actor in a similar
manner to the blurring of the Freireian dividing line between
the teacher and the student.
A new theatre starts:
Theater for Development
In 1974, a group of university staff based at The University of Botswana
initiated an adult education project which involved participatory
research, drama, workshops and community discussions. The themes
they discussed were of major concern to the people: migrant labour, cattle
theft and other development problems experienced by the village people.
The project was called Laedza Batanani, “which in Setswana, means ‘The
sun is up, let us go and work together’” (Kerr, 1995: 151).
Laedza Batanani came from a group of adult educators, including Ross
Kidd, Martin Byram, Frank Youngman and Kohler, Adrian associated with
the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (later University of
Botswana) (David Kerr 1995: 151)
A university prepares Theatre for
the development of people
David Kerr explains that the university staff members who
initiated Laedza Batanani were dissatisfied with the kinds of
adult education extension programmes offered to the rural
people. They thought using drama would do the work of
adult education better than the conventional methods used:
“posters, written instructional pamphlets/ seminars” (David
Kerr 1995: 151). When Laedza Batanani was launched in a
campaign it brought together “extension workers,
community leaders, performers, teachers and university
adult educators” (Kerr 1995: 152).
Ideal Theatre for Development Theatre for development is a collections of performance
arts that is used within a community for the betterment
of that community. Its aims is to help a community
understand itself, both good qualities and those that
need to be improved. If there are problems or issues that
concern the community, TfD aims at identifying possible
ways of working towards resolutions of the issues/
problems. The community enjoys the entertainment
whilst learning and therefore, moving towards further
development.
The Community it serves owns
this theatre
It serves the interests of a community;
It is created by the people for themselves;
A catalyst for positive change (a change agent);
What if the community is ‘fast asleep’?
An external ‘change agent’ becomes involved;
The role of the change agent is to raise people’s awareness;
This is where the role of ‘conscientization’ begins;
Can dialogue start if there is no comfort and trust?
How can an external ‘change agent’ negotiate a way to
earning the community’s trust?
A change agent needs to know the
community before work starts
Who are they?
What do they value?
What do they despise?
What do they like?
What don’t they like?
What gifts and talents do they have?
What skills do they have?
What do they aspire to be?
What inspires them?
What de-motivates them?
What are their daily activities?
What is their history?
What is their culture?
Becoming a change agent
Come as a learner - be willing to learn from the community;
Become one of the people in this community;
Be adaptable;
Believe in the community;
Acknowledge that they are not empty vessels, but have knowledge you don’t
have;
Acknowledge that they may have values you are not aware of;
Discard preconceived notions and attitudes;
Be aware of some damage caused by others before you (know their history);
Be aware of underdevelopment that may have been caused by others before
you;
Be aware of internalized notions (good or bad);
Be aware of the unstable nature of good and bad;
Becoming a change agent continued
Be interested in their story/ stories;
Be interested in their history;
Listen more and talk less;
Ask them questions that show interest in them;
Market your ideas by having an understanding for them as one of them;
Show empathy for their situation;
Show them how you are in a similar position with their own;
Discard the blame game;
Help them look up and regain their confidence;
Be careful… you are just about to be developed before you ‘develop’ anyone ;
Have fun together with them;
Never label them, but compliment (give real compliments) and
Allow them to ask before you give information.
DFD/TFD workshops within a
community
What are the important stages of a TfD workshop?
The Zimbabwean experience;
The South African experience;
The Sotho experience;
The Kenyan Experience;
The Swazi Experience;
Mexican;
Brazilian and
The ________________Experience.
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