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Theatre for Development (TfD) is a type of community-based or interactive theatre practice that aims to promote civic dialogue and engagement that uses performances as a participatory tool to help individuals and groups share their experiences with the intent of social transformation and empowerment. But the policy has failed to involve or include the people in the rural areas in development that concerns their lives. This observe therefore addresses the hassle of under improvement and disempowerment among Nigerian population especially in some selected Ekiti communities with the aid of exploring the validity of Theatre for Development Methodology. The demanding situations of human empowerment, transformation, emancipation and rural development remain critical issues in Ekiti State. The paper adopts qualitative studies technique, incorporating development communication via cybernetic pedagogy, participant commentary in its facts gathering and content analysis at the same time, ethnographic research layout method of records collection is used in the BOUESTI/ selected communities in Ekiti. Theatre for Development projects. The projects x-rayed the low-level of development in these clusters which includes, the urban drift of youths the neglect and lack of support of the widows from within and without, lack of health centre and convenient facilities (i.e. toilets) which toll the death rate of the people on the increase. The look hence unearths that Theatre for Development possesses the potency for facilitating human improvement in all ramifications if correctly carried out. This paper therefore recommends that the usage of the theatre for Development alternative which encompasses the conventional nuance of conversation, performance-oriented approach to promote dialogue, create attention and inspire participation would decorate sustainable development in the communities and the nation at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios sobre Cuerpos, Emociones y Sociedad is the property of Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios sobre Cuerpos, Emociones y Sociedad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

After unprecedented events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations reflect on their responses. In this research, we explore how regional creative industries responded to the pandemic to inform future strategies, government and council policies, and crisis responses. This article explores how community and fringe theatres, known for their community connections, responded to the pandemic in several high-growth regions in Queensland, Australia. Much like the general community, these theatres responded and were impacted differently; some felt little impact, while others were severely financially and creatively impacted. While they all had to adapt, the fringe theatres were more likely to further innovate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arts have the power to effect change and animate democracy by demonstrating the public value of creative work that contributes to a larger social good. In this accelerated moment of radical change, the arts are being more consciously used as a way to engage communities around achieving civic goals and to create positive connections. A major tension in the field right now revolves around how to galvanize our collective resources and knowledge toward building a more sustainable future for theater at large. This article centers the use of civic and community engagement programs as one prominent and effective method that can foster synergy with communities that arts organizations and theaters engage and seek to engage. Many theaters are using community engagement programs to ignite community conversations and address past inequities. A case study highlights how one regional theater, Mid-Sized City Theater (MCT), a pseudonym, used community and civic engagement programs to promote reimagining their organization as a civic institution and to rebuild relationships with their community. The pursuit to improve relationships between theaters and communities using community engagement programs is one way this sector is working to address historical inequities for cultural workers, artists, and participants in the arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collection of articles delves into the concept of community in the context of theater and performance. It explores how the term community is used to foster a sense of commonality and examines its potential for both support and repression. The articles also analyze the relationship between theater and community, emphasizing how theater can facilitate consensus and navigate differences. They discuss the complexities and tensions inherent in notions of community, including issues of sameness and difference, individuality and collectivity, and efficacy and agency. Ultimately, the collection provides a diverse and nuanced perspective on the concept of community in theater. [Extracted from the article]

The literary genre of drama and its performative realisation in the theatre are based on dialogue and interaction. In this, drama and theatre have always had a close affinity to the structures of society in general and community in particular. I shall argue in the following that Inua Ellams's Barber Shop Chronicles (2017), Travis Alabanza's Sound of the Underground (2023), and Martin Crimp's Not One of These People (2022) can be considered as deconstructions of a traditional understanding of community. I shall argue that the designs of community that emanate from these plays conceptually highlight an alternative model of community, which – following the philosophies of Jean-Luc Nancy and Giorgio Agamben – I shall call an "inoperative" (Nancy) or "coming" community (Agamben). The inoperative nature of these communities, which the three plays not only reflect upon but also constitute by themselves, is marked by a shift to singularity, by an openness to the Other, by fluid dramatic/theatrical/linguistic structures that challenge traditional normative and exclusionary practices and borders. The deconstructive aesthetics at work in all three plays reveals an inoperative community which denotes a potentiality that is always on the horizon, but never fully actualised. All three plays become epitomes for defining the ethical as well as the aesthetic programme of much British theatre in the twenty-first century: they question (and reject) traditional concepts of community that are based on unity or identity, while they also criticise overreaching, neoliberal individualism and the decline of communal interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Luciérnaga - Comunicación is the property of Politechnico Colombian Jaime Isaza Cadavid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acotaciones: Investigación y Creación Teatral is the property of Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramatico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Internationales Archiv für Sozialgeschichte der deutschen Literatur is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Introduction Despite abundant evidence showing immunization as a lifesaving public health measure, a large proportion of Nigerian children are still not or fully vaccinated. Lack of awareness and distrust of the immunization process by caregivers are some of the reasons for poor immunization coverage which need to be addressed. This study aimed at improving vaccination demand, acceptance and uptake in Bayelsa and Rivers State, both in the Niger Delta Region (NDR) of Nigeria through a human-centered process of trust building, education and social support. Methods A quasi-experimental intervention christened Community Theater for Immunization (CT4I) was deployed in 18 selected communities between November 2019 and May 2021 in the two states. In the intervention localities, relevant stakeholders including the leadership of the health system, community leaders, health workers and community members were engaged and actively involved in the design and performance of the theaters. The content for the theater showcased real stories, using a human-centered design (HCD) of ideation, co-creation, rapid prototyping, feedback collection and iteration. Pre- and post-intervention data on the demand and utilization of vaccination services were collected using a mixed method. Results In the two states, 56 immunization managers and 59 traditional and religious leaders were engaged. Four broad themes implicating user and provider factors emerged from the 18 focus group discussions as responsible for low immunization uptake in the communities. Of the 217 caregivers trained on routine immunization and theater performances, 72% demonstrated a knowledge increase at the post-test. A total of 29 performances attended by 2,258 women were staged with 84.2% of the attendees feeling satisfied. At the performances, 270 children received vaccine shots (23% were zero-dose). There was a 38% increase in the proportion of fully immunized children in the communities and 9% decline in the proportion of zero-dose children from baseline. Conclusion Both demand- and supply-side factors were identified as responsible for poor vaccination in the intervention communities. Our intervention demonstrates that caregivers will demand immunization services if they are engaged through community theater using a human-centered design (HCD). We recommend a scaling up of HCD to address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy.

Copyright of Drama Therapy Review is the property of Intellect Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article offers a close reading of audience member reflections of A Simpl Twist of Faith, a Canadian play that uses community-engaged theatre practices and site-specific dramaturgy. What can we as scholars, researchers, and artists learn from long-form audience responses? How does site, time, identity, and community infiltrate and overlap in this play? By centering audience reflections, this article offers a critical case-study in ethnographic audience research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite abundant evidence showing immunization as a lifesaving public health measure, a large proportion of Nigerian children are still not or fully vaccinated. Lack of awareness and distrust of the immunization process by caregivers are some of the reasons for poor immunization coverage which need to be addressed. This study aimed at improving vaccination demand, acceptance and uptake in Bayelsa and Rivers State, both in the Niger Delta Region (NDR) of Nigeria through a human-centered process of trust building, education and social support. Methods: A quasi-experimental intervention christened Community Theater for Immunization (CT4I) was deployed in 18 selected communities between November 2019 and May 2021 in the two states. In the intervention localities, relevant stakeholders including the leadership of the health system, community leaders, health workers and community members were engaged and actively involved in the design and performance of the theaters. The content for the theater showcased real stories, using a human-centered design (HCD) of ideation, co-creation, rapid prototyping, feedback collection and iteration. Pre- and post-intervention data on the demand and utilization of vaccination services were collected using a mixed method. Results: In the two states, 56 immunization managers and 59 traditional and religious leaders were engaged. Four broad themes implicating user and provider factors emerged from the 18 focus group discussions as responsible for low immunization uptake in the communities. Of the 217 caregivers trained on routine immunization and theater performances, 72% demonstrated a knowledge increase at the post-test. A total of 29 performances attended by 2,258 women were staged with 84.2% of the attendees feeling satisfied. At the performances, 270 children received vaccine shots (23% were zero-dose). There was a 38% increase in the proportion of fully immunized children in the communities and 9% decline in the proportion of zero-dose children from baseline. Conclusion: Both demand- and supply-side factors were identified as responsible for poor vaccination in the intervention communities. Our intervention demonstrates that caregivers will demand immunization services if they are engaged through community theater using a human-centered design (HCD). We recommend a scaling up of HCD to address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praktyka Teoretyczna is the property of University of Wroclaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Políticas Culturais em Revista is the property of Politicas Culturais em Revista and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using multimodal conversation analysis, we investigate how novices learning the "inner body" acting technique in the context of a community theater project share their experiences of the bodily exercises through verbal and embodied conduct. We focus on how verbal description and bodily enactment of the experience mutually elaborate each other, and how the experienced sensorimotor and affective qualities are made to be witnessed and recognized by the others. Participants describe their experiences without naming qualities. Instead, a display of the experienced qualities is made accessible to others through coordinating the unfolding talk and bodily conduct. In particular, we show how grammatical and action projection is fulfilled by interconnected verbal and embodied conduct, with body movement and posture giving off ineffable experiential qualities. The moving body appears both as a source of the experience and as a resource for depicting perceived qualities to others; additional resources (non-specific person reference and gaze aversion) contribute to organizing the subjective and intersubjective layers of the reflection of the experiences. The study contributes to and extends recent research on sensoriality in interaction by focusing on phenomena of proprioception and interoception. The data are two cases drawn from 60 h of video-recordings made in the context of a devised community theater project. The data are in Finnish with English translations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Verbuč's book, DIY House Shows and Music Venues in the US: Ethnographic Explorations of Place and Community, examines the dynamics of homegrown music communities, particularly house concert circuits on the West Coast of the United States. Verbuč explores how these DIY communities represent different ethical and political philosophies, with the concert spaces serving as places for these ideas to be put into practice. The book also discusses the physical spaces where DIY shows take place, the influence of geography on DIY scenes, and the realities of touring for musicians. While the academic writing style may be at odds with the DIY ethos, the book offers valuable insights into the diverse and ever-changing music scenes in the US. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Pregled is the property of University of Sarajevo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper explores the goals of the National Theatre of Nigeria (NTN) in the overarching interest of national integration. It focuses on the relationship between the national theatre as the epitome of performing unity and projecting national interests and the various public theatres at the regional and community levels. Adopting historical-analytic, key informant interview (KII) and direct observation methods, the paper explores the history of the national theatre to its present exploits by looking at the operations of the theatre from inception to the current dispensation. It uses mainstream theories of integration (i.e., assimilation, liberal integration, multiculturalism) as lenses to explore existing relations between the regional or state public theatres and community theatres referred to here as acorns and the national theatre referred to as an oak. The study posits that for the national theatre in the current dispensation to be effective in reflecting the goals and performing its objectives bringing in the best performances, artists and artistic pieces from the regions and communities (acorns) to showcase the various talents in the various parts of the country to the national theatre (oak) may be options to be explored. Furthermore, a number of approaches including sourcing for talent from the regions, encouraging regional presentations and festivals that project various regions may begin to give it the national outlook. Taking leadership of the public theatres which is the expectation for oaks, may involve reviving theatre performance outside of the comfort of the physical location, by moving out of the edifice and performing within regions and communities. In this connection, the rich cultural artefacts and performative ethos of Nigeria are sustainably preserved. Hence, all stakeholders in the creative and cultural industries (CCIs) in Nigeria should focus on reviving both cultural and modern performances through a deliberate strategy of diverse ways of ensuring inclusion and using the institution of the national theatre to give the needed impetus for a robust theatre engagement at the centre and within communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del CILHA is the property of Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the rise of white supremacist ideologies in the United States in recent years, the need for more place-based anti-racist teaching practices has become increasingly apparent, especially in rural areas where resentment towards 'liberal,' urbanized society is often embedded within the identity of rural folks. Educational theatre practices can help students in these places practice empathy and learn about the experiences of others outside of their own bubble of understanding. How can theatre classrooms, specifically in culturally hegemonically white, rural communities, teach in more intentionally anti-racist and culturally inclusive ways? In this article, the author outlines the process of creating a verbatim documentary theatre script, or ethnodrama, entitled Yet through such connection... based on interviews with teachers, parents, former students, community members, and artists who were or are currently involved in high school theatre programs in rural Vermont that seeks to answer this question. Conversations with the community following the creation of the piece highlight the need to release the internalized shame some folks have living in a homogenous community, recognize student and community experiences, and create place-based, student story led performance opportunities that can open the door to anti-racist and inclusive dialogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article maps out our critical engagement with the Third Theatre community pre- and post-COVID-19, with a focus on both performer training and the concrete material ways in which group theatres connected to this small tradition have responded to the challenges of the global pandemic. To illustrate our arguments, we draw on the Japanese craft of kintsugi—the transformative repair of ceramics—as a dispositif, employed to investigate the ways in which theatrical practice can comprise 'an art of precious scars', to paraphrase Stephano Carnazzi. This model allows for breaking with form and, importantly, re-modelling energy, which conversely becomes the most important aspect of the theatre laboratory, encompassing the relationships between body and form, individual and group, and artist and the wider society, importantly allowing for the creation of something that is more unique and authentic. Theatrical practice can thus be a clinch (bound like in a mother's embrace) or jolted through disruption (like the cracks of kintsugi). Importantly, this disruption and its resolution takes place on both a level of form (as in the theatrical exercise) and on a broader, socio-political and economic plain. The article importantly focuses on both phenomena, and in so doing reflects on both the legacy and futurity of the transnational Third Theatre community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates forum theater, an interactive, participatory type of theater, as a tool to better understand and combat gender-based violence (GBV) in Makusha, a densely populated mining community in Shurugwi, the Midlands region of Zimbabwe. Deeply impacted by rapid mining industry expansion, this community faces intensifying social tensions. At the core of the study lies an examination of the influence of forum theater on community attitudes and behaviors. Attention is paid to its role in empowering vulnerable segments of the community, especially women, and how it fosters resilience and resistance against GBV. The study discusses the transformative potential of forum theater in addressing deep-seated social issues and the urgency of creating inclusive and violence-free spaces in communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of the article is on writing the history of community theatre, which was a popular avenue for artistic expression for a number of township playwrights. During the period 1984-1994, there was a flowering of the arts in Soweto. Numerous popular community plays were staged, but this has not been documented due to a lack of record-keeping by the playwrights and the absence of formal theatre structures for township-based playwrights. In contemporary writing, theatre received attention from newspapers, with Gibson Kente, Matsemela Manaka and Maishe Maponya being the most prominent playwrights. Because of their popularity in South Africa and esteem with international audiences, the stature of the three playwrights presents an opportunity to see how a history of Soweto community theatre may be written. This article proposes that memory studies facilitates the writing of a more comprehensive narrative because it enables the melding of various sources: newspaper articles, theatre programmes, private archives, and information and insights from interviewees. Halbwachs's methodology allows for a discussion in which theory (memory studies) and practice (writing the narrative) present evidence that community theatre has contributed to the development of theatre in South Africa. Without discounting the significance of (written) history, Halbwachs foregrounds the importance of memory, which resides with "people still living," as key to formulating a narrative of the past. This is pertinent to Soweto community theatre, since the insights from interviewees and various sources also help to re-examine the perceived limitations attached to the label "community theatre.". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the articulation of cultural policies and artistic projects for social inclusion in the province of Buenos Aires. The Cruzavías community theater group, from the Nueve de Julio city, is taken as a case, seeking to investigate the modalities of articulation between the group and the State based on specific cultural and social policies, which at the same time enabled and hindered the development of activities and the exploration of other areas of social life through art. Through an ethnographic approach to the object, we propose an analysis that is both historically situated and theoretically transdisciplinary, which reveals processes linked to the region's cultural policies and participants' subjective transformations. In this way, we seek to contribute both to the field of cultural policy studies, as well as to the perspectives that analyze processes of art, inclusion and social transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interview with Steven High, a Canadian oral historian and acclaimed author of over a dozen books, founder of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) at Concordia University. Since its launch in 2006, COHDS became a reference at diverse levels, from the models of partnership beyond the academy gates, involving researchers, artists and community leaders, amongst other connections, to its use of digital technologies and the promotion of intersections between oral history and creative productions such as theatre, museum exhibitions, sound-walks and fi lms. In this interview, Steven High gives us an in-depth look at his approach to oral history, the research-creation process and digital tools developed by COHDS over the last 15 years, and discusses how oral history can be transformed from a disciplinary methodology into an interdisciplinary creative practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interview with Steven High, a Canadian oral historian and acclaimed author of over a dozen books, founder of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) at Concordia University. Since its launch in 2006, COHDS became a reference at diverse levels, from the models of partnership beyond the academy gates, involving researchers, artists and community leaders, amongst other connections, to its use of digital technologies and the promotion of intersections between oral history and creative productions such as theatre, museum exhibitions, sound-walks and films. In this interview, Steven High gives us an in-depth look at his approach to oral history, the research-creation process and digital tools developed by COHDS over the last 15 years, and discusses how oral history can be transformed from a disciplinary methodology iento an interdisciplinary creative practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the phenomenon of the Polish TV series Artists. Created by the theater creators Strzępka and Demirski were their TV debut. The series has become iconic among the theater community. Analyzing the series I show its sources, which are stuck in the extraordinary recent development of Polish theater dramaturgy. I also try to show how the series opens the directing to new dimensions of creativity. The changes that have taken place in the Polish theater allow to replace the dominant models of affirmation and subversion with an affective approach to art whose frame I become experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drama activities are reported to foster language learning, and may prepare learners for oral skills that mirror those used in real life. This year-long time series classroom-based quasi-experimental study followed a between-subjects design in which two classes of college EFL learners were exposed to two oral training conditions: (1) an experimental one in which drama-based training pedagogy was employed; and (2) the comparison one in which ordinary public speaking pedagogy was utilized. The experimental participants dramatized a picture book into a play, refined and rehearsed it for the classroom audience, and eventually performed it publicly as a theater production for community children. Diachronic comparisons of the participants' oral presentation skills under the two conditions showed that a significant between-group difference began to become pronounced only after the experimental participants started to present for real-life audiences other than their classmates. This finding suggests that drama-mediated pedagogy effectively enhanced the experimental participants' presentation performance and became more effective than the traditional approach only after a real-life audience was involved. In addition to the participants' performance data, survey and retrospective protocols were utilized to shed light on how drama-based tasks targeting both classroom and authentic audiences influence college EFL learners' presentation performance and their self-perceived oral presentation skills. Analysis of the survey and retrospective data indicated that the participants' attention to three presentation skills—structure, audience adaptation and content—was significantly raised after their presentation involved a real-life audience. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications for drama for FL oral presentation instruction are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]