Footsteps 58

THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Photo: Isabel Carter

Every issue of Footsteps brings new challenges and learning. This issue has been a particularly interesting one to put together. I’ve always been aware of how enjoyable role play can be to watch. In recent years I’ve realised, too, how gifted ordinary people can be at using role play. This issue has given me a new awareness of the power of using theatre to encourage understanding about all kinds of development issues.

Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 58 in html.

To download a pdf version of Footsteps issue 58 click here (699K).

Aarohan Street Theatre In the Nepalese language, aarohan means to climb – either up a mountain (in a country that has many of the highest mountains in the world) or onto a performing stage. Aarohan Street Theatre has been established for many years. It began performing on ... More >>

Bible study Valuing different cultures and ethnic identities In Genesis chapters 1–11 we read about the beginnings of many things – the world itself and all its creatures, marriage, agriculture, sin, cities, music and metalwork. We also learn about the beginni... More >>

Crossing over into reality by Alex Mavrocordatos. Kolo village needed a new well. The older wells were running dry, their walls collapsing with the degeneration of the soil into sand as the Sahara crept slowly southwards every year. The chief and his advisors did not seem to... More >>

Editorial Every issue of Footsteps brings new challenges and learning. This issue has been a particularly interesting one to put together. I’ve always been aware of how enjoyable role play can be to watch. In recent years I’ve realised, too, how gifted ordinar... More >>

Exploring issues with role play Ask one participant to begin improvising a scene. They can either create a scene about anything they choose, or the facilitator can ask them to create a scene around a particular topic, such as violence, power, child birth or sickness. When another... More >>

Letters Snail farming request. We are working to fight against poverty, malnutrition and social problems in rural areas of Cameroon through improved farming methods. One project we have carried out is the rearing of snails. After a year, over 2,000 of the... More >>

Practical tips for using theatre and culture in development Opportunities Theatre in development provides a creative way to engage with a local community or target group and to learn from it. Spend time researching local cultural issues – talk with people, including community leaders, religious leaders, N... More >>

Resources Popular Theatre in Political Culture by Tim Prentki and Jan Selman ISBN 1 84150 847 0 paperback This book studies the history and practice of popular theatre. The global mass media have begun to threaten the survival of popular theatre companies. T... More >>

The imagination: an unlimited and free resource for teaching! by Tag McEntegart. The PAX Project was a small peace-building education project started by CARE International in 1996 as part of its reconstruction work in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia after the conflict there. The PAX Project’s central concern wa... More >>

The Rampa Fund: Promoting culture in Kyrgyzstan by Alexander Balbekin. Social life in Kyrgyzstan today is very difficult. There is much poverty, apathy, despair and lack of trust, and little cultural activity. Against this difficult background, the Rampa Fund seeks to encourage people and bring... More >>

These Rights are Mine by Ann Shrosbree. These Rights are Mine is a project that explores the rights of the child with young people in Uganda. It uses theatre in secondary schools as a way of encouraging information-sharing and the participation of young people. Student... More >>

Useful lessons for theatre in development… Do get your facts right. There is nothing worse than giving people wrong or misleading information – for example, about how HIV/AIDS can be transmitted. Do be aware that the effectiveness of theatre will depend on the confidence and abilities of t... More >>

Using theatre in development by Tim Prentki and Claire Lacey. Theatre can break through language and cultural barriers and is an extremely useful communication tool… Theatre does not require literacy skills or clever speaking to be effective. Theatre communicates with th... More >>

ECHO funding Feedback on tilz