Theatre And Empowerment: Community Drama On The World Stage (cambridge Studies In Modern Theatre)

Theatre and Empowerment examines the ability of drama, theatre, dance and performance to empower communities of very different kinds, and it does so from a multi-cultural perspective. The communities involved include poverty-stricken children in Ethiopia and the Indian sub-continent, disenfranchised Native Americans in the USA and young black men in Britain, victims of violence in South Africa and Northern Ireland, and a threatened agricultural town in Italy. The book asserts the value of performance as a vital agent of necessary social change, and makes its arguments through the close examination, from 'inside' practice, of the success - not always complete - of specific projects in their practical and cultural contexts. Practitioners and commentators ask how performance in its widest sense can play a part in community activism on a scale larger than the individual, 'one-off' project by helping communities find their own liberating and creative voices. Theatre And Empowerment Examines The Ability Of Drama, Theatre, Dance And Performance To Empower Communities Of Very Different Kinds, And It Does So From A Multicultural Perspective. The Communities Involved Include Disadvantaged Children In Ethiopia And The Indian Sub-continent, Disenfranchised Native Americans In The Usa And Young Black Men In Britain, People Caught In Cycles Of Violence In South Africa And Northern Ireland, And A Threatened Agricultural Town In Italy. The Book Asserts The Value Of Performance As A Vital Agent Of Necessary Social Change, And Makes Its Arguments Through The Close Examination, From 'inside' Practice, Of The Success - Not Always Complete - Of Specific Projects In Their Practical And Cultural Contexts. Practitioners And Commentators Ask How Performance In Its Widest Sense Can Play A Part In Community Activism On A Scale Larger Than The Individual, 'one-off' Project By Helping Communities Find Their Own Liberating And Creative Voices.--jacket. The Wedding Community Play Project : A Cross-community Production In Northern Ireland / Gerri Moriarty -- The Poor Theatre Of Monticchiello, Italy / Richard Andrews -- 'what Happened To You Today That Reminded You That You Are A Black Man?' The Process Of Exploring Black Masculinities In Performance, Great Britain / Michael Macmillan -- Wielding The Cultural Weapon After Apartheid : Bongani Linda's Victory Sonqoba Theatre Company, South Africa / Stepanie Marlin-curiel -- Dance And Transformation : The Adugna Community Dance Theatre, Ethiopia / Jane Plastow -- The Day Of Mourning/pilgrim Progress In Plymouth, Usa. Contesting Processions : A Report On Performance, Personification And Empowerment / Ricardo Villanueva -- South Asia's Child Rights Theatre For Development : The Empowerment Of Children Who Are Marginalised, Disadvantaged And Excluded / Michael Etherton -- Theatre -- A Space For Empowerment : Celebrating Jana Sanskriti's Experience In India / Sanjoy Ganguly. Edited By Richard Boon And Jane Plastow. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Frontmatter Notes on contributors (page ix) 1 Introduction (RICHARD BOON AND JANE PLASTOW, page 1) 2 The Wedding Community Play Project: a cross-community production in Northern Ireland (GERRI MORIARTY, page 13) 3 The Poor Theatre of Monticchiello, Italy (RICHARD ANDREWS, page 33) 4 'What happened to you today that reminded you that you are a black man?' the process of exploring black masculinities in performance, Great Britain (MICHAEL MACMILLAN, page 60) 5 Wielding the cultural weapon after apartheid: Bongani Linda's Victory Sonqoba Theatre Company, South Africa (STEPHANIE MARLIN-CURIEL, page 94) 6 Dance and transformation: the Adugna Community Dance Theatre, Ethiopia (JANE PLASTOW, page 125) 7 The Day of Mourning/Pilgrim Progress in Plymouth, USA. Contesting processions: a report on performance, personification and empowerment (RICARDO VILLANUEVA, page 155) 8 South Asia's Child Rights Theatre for Development: the empowerment of children who are marginalised, disadvantaged and excluded (MICHAEL ETHERTON, page 188) 9 Theatre—a space for empowerment: celebrating Jana Sanskriti's experience in India (SANJOY GANGULY, page 220) Index (page 258) Working from a multi-cultural perspective, this book explores the value of performance as an agent of social change, and makes its arguments through the close examination of the success--not always complete--of specific projects in their practical and cultural contexts. Practitioners and commentators inquire as to how performance in its broadest context can play a part in community activism by helping communities find their own creative voices. Several years ago we published Theatre Matters: Performance and Culture on the World Stage (Cambridge University Press, 1998), a collection of essays which argued - forcibly, we hope - that 'theatre, in a variety of forms and contexts, can make, and indeed has made, positive political and social interventions in a range of developing cultures across the world'. Theatre and Empowerment examines the ability of drama, theatre, dance and performance to empower communities of very different kinds. Working from a multi-cultural perspective, the book explores the value of performance as an agent of social change, asking how it can help disempowered communities find their own creative voices.