Assignment of African Culture





Assignment of African Culture

Overview of Theatre-for-Development

TFD or Theatre for Development means theatre or live performance used as a development tool in the context of international development. It includes following in-person activities with puppets or people ahead of an audience:

A spoken-word comedy or drama.

Singing, music, and/or dance production.

Improvisational or participatory techniques used in above techniques.

TFD is defined as progression or development from less interactive forms of theatres to a more dialogical process. In such method, theatre is more methods by the people or with people as a method of empowering communities. They can raise their opinions, their concerns are listened, and they are encouraged to solve their own problems (Mushala, 2002).

This assignment is about using Theatre for Development (TFD) as a tool for community development in African culture. It uses reports and readings of four TFD workshops to incorporate five important features or principles of TFD as leant in classrooms. This assignment discusses principles of TFD in each of four workshops for critical analysis as a development tool.

Discussion

Experimental and youth initiative in TFD

This reading is related to the development of Theatre-for-Development initiatives in Swaziland. Swazi youth organized several programs that include The Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS) in various communities. They use different mediums of performances that include short plays, dancing, praise poems, singings, and skit to communicate information of four priority areas for early development after independence. These priority areas were health, education, agriculture, and business enterprise. The composition of their theme song that was broadcasted in the radio program developed themes that include home economists (Bolomakhaya), agricultural instructors (Balimisi), and constituencies (Tinkhundla). It teaches improve living standards for better farming techniques such as food preparation, income awareness, and health conscious practices. Swaziland looked for more development with collaboration of NGOs such as Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations (CANGO) to enhance self sufficiency in an environment of diseases, poverty, socio-economic instability, and discrimination. Literary arts were also introduced through the development of theatres to entertain people in their own culture and language (Byam, 1999). The People's Educational Theatre, SiSwati anthologies, Siphila Nje Drama Society (SNDS), and Tinkhundla open areas. These were significant efforts made that were in accordance with the principles of TFD. HIV/AIDS was raising the issue in Swaziland, and maximum efforts were made to provide its awareness through literary performances. This reading reflects one of the key features of TFD i.e. the conceptualization of writing, performing, and making plays communicate national messages. The development projects and theatre companies put their maximum efforts to communicate a simple message that HIV is not only a concern to a few but everyone. The theatre performances at Namibia also adapted similar mode of information to address these issues and identified it as an effective tool in the development process (Mushala, 2002).

The Siphocosini Youth Group TFD Workshop

Siphocosini is an urban settlement for employees of the Bhunya Usuthu Pulp Company with largest revenue makers in the ...