Forum Theatre as Theatre for Development in East Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorFrederik, Laurieen_US
dc.contributor.authorWarheit, Emily Janeen_US
dc.contributor.departmentTheatreen_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-23T06:43:50Z
dc.date.available2018-01-23T06:43:50Z
dc.date.issued2017en_US
dc.description.abstractTheatre for development (TfD) includes a variety of performance practices that aim to communicate or foster dialogue in a development context. Forum Theatre, developed by Brazilian Director Augusto Boal as part of his Theatre of the Oppressed movement has become one of the most widely used forms in TfD. This dissertation looks at the use of Forum Theatre specifically in public health-focused programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uganda and Kenya. The appeal of Forum Theatre for addressing development issues stems from its participatory nature, particularly as it aligns with current trends towards community involvement in development. However, power imbalances inherent in foreign-funded projects, public health communication theories modeled after advertising, and the realities of life- and livelihood-threatening conditions on the ground all work against the liberatory potential of the form. The focus of Forum Theatre is on identifying and combatting oppression; in developing communities, what oppressions can theatre projects initiated from the top down by USAID actually address in practice? This study is a multi-sited exploration of the organizations and individuals involved in the funding, planning, and executing of two forum theatre projects promoting global public health goals. Through interviews of stakeholders and organization publications including training manuals and project reports, I examine how the organizations involved implement, evaluate, and justify the effectiveness of the use of theatre in their work. Despite the popularity of theatre for development in Sub-Saharan Africa, many development professionals, particularly in the US, have limited knowledge of how to use theatre in their programs. This study has the potential to improve the understanding of the use of Forum Theatre for both development professionals and theatre artists, allowing for more effective application. It will also place theatre for development in its context in the complicated web of the development industry, illuminating how TfD projects are planned and funded for an audience of theatre scholars and practitioners.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13016/M23F4KP8F
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/20379
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledTheateren_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledPublic health educationen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledAfrican studiesen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledApplied Theatreen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledInternational Developmenten_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledKenyaen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledPublic Healthen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledTheatreen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledUgandaen_US
dc.titleForum Theatre as Theatre for Development in East Africaen_US
dc.typeDissertationen_US

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