Applied Theatre Adopts the Theatre as a Product Model: A Critical Evaluation of Theatre for Health Education Practice in Uganda
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: As a result of the shifting trends in the application of theatre in development programmes with increased emphasis on participatory development, there has been a growing debate about whether theatre should be taken to the people, worked out with the people or have communities facilitated to initiate and organize a theatre process for their own betterment.Clearly put, there has been a debate on whether theatre should be applied as a process or as a product.This debate, however, has made it clear that Applied Theatre is more empowering and sustainable when used as a process.Consequently, the theatre by and for the people strand has been viewed as an ideal strand of Applied Theatre because it is initiated and sustained by the people themselves.But critics have not pointed out the fact that there are situations when the theatre as a product model has been deployed with profound success.This article discusses case studies where theatre has been deployed in health education campaigns using the theatre as a product model.It argues that even though these projects adopted a taking theatre to the people or theatre as a product model, the practitioners in these projects achieved their goals.The projects discussed include, the Kabarole Basic Health Services (KBHS), the Rural Water and Sanitation Project (RUASA) and the School Health Education Project (SHEP).
Source: African performance review.
Author: Keneth Bamuturaki
Institution: Kyambogo University
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4402836264