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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

Theatre for social change
While major theatrical trends of theatre arts such as naturalism, realism,
expressionism, symbolism and theatre of the absurd dominate theatre scene
around the globe, particularly in Europe, it is important to note that other parts of
the world have a rich theatrical landscape with its own distinct style and function.
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Among notable theatrical movements is theatre for social change which is based
on the belief that theatre is functional. Meaning that theatre does not necessarily
exist to only entertain but rather to serve other ends such as educating, consoling,
warning and inducing changes. Whereas theatre for social change is broad and
differently practised, the most common approach in many African countries
is Theatre for Development (TfD). TfD emerged as a powerful tool for social
change and community engagement, particularly in regions that faced socio-
economic challenges in the early 1970s.

As a communication tool, TfD gained several names depending on the nature
of intervention it addressed with emphasis on drawing themes from issues that
challenge the society. These names include, Participatory Theatre, Community
Theatre, Popular Theatre, Theatre for Integrated Rural Development, Intervention
Theatre and Theatre for Social Awareness. Unlike conventional theatre that
primarily focuses on entertainment, TfD utilises performance as a catalyst
for dialogue, education and empowerment within communities. It combines
elements of traditional storytelling, music, dance and drama to address pressing
issues such as healthcare, education, gender equality and human rights. During
performances, the audience can also join because they relate the performances
with the actual reality of their lives.

Communities around the world engage in various social, economic and political
activities to make their lives better than they are. Efforts directed towards
development of these communities face multiple challenges against their
goals. In response to those challenges, community members engage numerous
approaches geared towards ensuring the wellbeing of individual communities
and the nation at large. In choosing among these approaches, emphasis is put
on assurance for inclusion, which allows members of a particular community to
own a process towards social changes. Theatre for Social Change is one among
those approaches. It is an inclusive approach popularly implemented to solve
challenges that communities face.

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