PARTICIPATORY THEATER FOR DEVELOPMENT
Royal Tropical Institute of the Netherlands (KIT)
KIT Special on Theater and Development
This KIT Special on Theatre & Development is about the use of theatre, including street theatre and puppet theatre, to disseminate and communicate information. The title Theatre & Development refers to theatre approaches known as Theatre for Development, participatory theatre, popular theatre, community theatre, legislative theatre, theatre in (health) education, educational theatre, and edutainment.
It covers:
- Theatre as an educational tool
- Theatre as a learning process
- Not a new concept to developing countries
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Need for support
- Participatory performance practices
Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health
Theater for Development in Sexual Health, a Case Study
Mr. Habib Afsar
Behavior change is a lengthy and complicated, albeit an important process for the development of safe and responsible sexual behavior. In order to tackle behavior change, underlying attitudes need to be understood and challenged. Theater for Development (TfD) can be instrumental at the grassroot level to explore and challenge current attitudes, and to empower people to adopt healthy attitudes and habits in a culturally sensitive and non-threatening environment.
Case Study: A five-day workshop was held in Jindodhero, a village in a remote rural district. The objectives were to introduce the concept of theater for development; to understand positive sexual health; to practice the art of theater; and to enable participants to monitor and evaluate activities. Three 'core' sexual health modules were conducted; 'Personal Ethics', 'Sexual Health' and 'Sexual Rights'. Modules were also run on theater games and drama techniques including communication skills, mime, creativity, story and character building and the stages of drama. Participants were taken through the stages of TfD (research, story telling, story building, drama making, drama testing, performance and feed back). A field trip provided an opportunity to practice active listening and identify real life stories and issues within the local community. The end result of the workshop was a twenty-minute, reality-based play on early marriage and gender roles. An audience of 30 people of various ages attended, followed by 20-minute discussion between the audience and performers on issues identified in the play. The play was appreciated, especially as it was based on a real life situation. Participants felt empowered and able to bring about change. TfD is now a well-established developmental tool even though its use and effective implementation for sustainable development is rare. Because of its participatory note, lack of dependence on technology or literacy and it's ability to exploit indigenous forms, TfD is able to respond to the need to be context specific when dealing with grass root self development, and even more so when dealing with a culturally sensitive issue like sexuality.
Article
The Utilization of Theater-in-Education for Social Development Changes : Experiences and Future Trends, International and Regional Experiences with the Implementation of Children's Strategies and Programs , and the role of Local Governments and NGOs
Lina Atteli
Director of the Performing Arts Center, The Noor Al Hussein Foundation, Jordan
Article
Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development (CIIFAD), Participatory Development Communication
Cornell University has been a leader in international agricultural and rural development for much of the past century. CIIFAD mobilizes Cornell's academic resources, enabling faculty and students to engage in innovative, state-of-the-art work contributing to sustainable agricultural and rural development. CIIFAD undertakes to generate new knowledge, to develop human resources, and to strengthen institutions to support this objective. Most of CIIFAD's work is carried out by faculty members and graduate students who contribute their time and effort to collaborative programs.
CIIFAD supports new initiatives, leveraging funding from various sources, forging collaborative links, and facilitating strategic research. More than 140 faculty members have participated in CIIFAD activities that enrich their teaching and broaden their research. Some 180 graduate students have received support for their studies or field research in connection with CIIFAD programs. Research focuses are determined jointly with overseas partners so that there is a demand for what is learned. CIIFAD's small support staff assists its interdisciplinary, collaborative programs with publications, seminars, travel, and other arrangements.
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