critical model for practitioners and other stakeholders. However, this is in no way an
attempt to provide a rigid all-purpose theoretical model, but nonetheless to offer ways,
through a description of aspects of Theatre for Development, within which and
through which social and behavioural transformations in this eclectic field may take
place. To this end, case studies of a few indicative and contrasting examples of
Theatre for Development will be used to provide a mirror which will enable its
practitioners to reflect upon and critique their own practices as a way of achieving
The works of Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal provide the study with a theoretical
model in which its basic assumptions and arguments are tested and developed. These
two authors, whose works are related in many ways, privilege the use of participatory
approaches in the process of creating critical consciousness and promoting change in
the individual and in society; these are fundamental requirements in any meaningful
practice of Theatre for Development.
The findings of this study reveal the discursive and eclectic state of the practice of
Theatre for Development in Kenya as originating from a multiplicity of factors such as
the skills (or lack thereof) of the practitioners, government interference and the
prescriptive agenda and demands of the project funding bodies, institutions and
agencies as well as the proliferation of NGOs using Theatre for Development but lacking its foundational philosophy and methodology. This study therefore suggests
that, for the enterprise to be more effective and efficient there is a serious need to
reflect critically on its procedures and methodology in order to improve and guide its
operation. These fundamental aspects include collaborative research, codification,
interactive participation, and facilitation and intervention, and are not prescriptive
matters but descriptive, arrived at through a critical analysis of a number of Theatre
for Development activities in Kenya. Ultimately the research process has thus
highlighted a number of weaknesses and strengths in the practice of Theatre for
Because Theatre for Development is a performance event, the study utilised both
quantitative and qualitative research methods. This was necessary, because the study
depended on a bibliographical review, unstructured interviews and action research,
where the researcher participated in Theatre for Development projects, happenings and
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie is ‘n ondersoek na Teater vir Ontwikkelling in Kenya. Dit poog om die
verskillende manifestasies van die praktyk te karteer en beskryf waardeur dit, tot ‘n
mate, a kritiese model vir praktisyns en aandeelhouers kan dien. Die onderneming is
egter op geen wyse ‘n soeke na ‘n rigiede, allesomvattende teoretiese model nie, maar
bied tog ‘n beskrywing van aspekte van Teater vir Ontwikkelling waarbinne en
waardeur transformasie van sosiale optrede en handeling in hierdie eklektiese veld kan
plaasvind. Met dit in gedagte word na ‘n aantal toepaslike en kontrasterende
gevallestudies van Teater vir Ontwikkelling gekyk om ‘n perspektief te ontwikkel wat
praktisyns in staat sal stel om hulle eie praktyke krities en effektief te kan evalueer.
Die werk en geskrifte van Paulo Freire en Augusto Boal verskaf die teoretiese model
vir hierdie ondersoek, wat die basiese beginsels en uitgangspunte daarvan in die
Afrika-konteks uittoets en ontwikkel. Hierdie skrywers, wie se werke nou verband
hou met mekaar, gee voorkeur aan ‘n interaktiewe, deelnemende benaderings tot die
ontwikkelling van ‘n kritiese bewussyn en die stimulering van verandering by die
individu en in die gemeenskap. Dié benaderings is fundamenteel tot enige sinvolle
aanwending van Teater vir Ontwikkelling.
Daar is bevind dat die beoefening van Teater vir Ontwikkelling in Kenia uiters
eklekties en uiteenlopend van aard is en dat hierdie stand van sake toegeskryf kan
word aan ‘n verskeidenheid faktore, insluitend die vaardighede (of tekort aan
vaardighede) van praktisyns, inmenging deur die regering, voorskriftelike agendas en
vereistes gestel deur borge en befondsingsagentskappe, edm. ‘n Ander faktor is die geweldige toename in nie-regeringsorganisasies (NGO’s) wat van Teater vir
Ontwikkelling gebruik maak terwyl hulle nie oor die basiese filosofiese en
metodologiese kennis en opleiding beskik nie. Die bevinding is dus dat sodanige
programme slegs meer effektief en doeltreffend bedryf kan word indien daar ernstig
besin word oor fundamentele prosedures en metodologieë, om aan die verdere bedryf
van die program(me) rigting te kan gee en uitkomste te verbeter. Fundamentele
aspekte hierby betrek sou insluit spannavorsing, samewerking, kodifisering,
interaktiewe deelname, fasilitering en intervensie, wat nie voorskriftelik is nie, maar
beskrywend en rigtinggewend van aard, afgelei uit ‘n kritiese ontleding van ‘n aantal
Teater vir Ontwikkelling aktiwiteite in Kenia. Die navorsing het dus uiteindelik ‘n
aantal sterk- en swakpunte in die praktyk van Teater vir Ontwikkelling in Kenia belig.
Omdat Teater vir Ontwikkelling ‘n aanbiedings-gebeurtenis (“performance event”) is,
het die ondersoek beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes gebruik.
Dit was nodig omdat die ondersoek gebruik gemaak het van formele literatuurstudie,
sowel as ongestruktureerde onderhoude en aksienavorsing, waartydens die navorser
self deelgeneem het aan van die Teater vir Ontwikkelling projekte, gebeure en
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20919
This item appears in the following collections: Doctoral Degrees (Drama)12
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