Establishing a moral discourse: a limiting outcome, or an opportunity for tactical action? An exploration of alternative perspectives on health education in South Africa

Abstract

Stemming from a viewpoint that my applied theatre practice should include both a dialogical element and an opportunity to take creative risks, this article explores how creative risk-taking can lead to seemingly repressive outcomes for the participants. Examining two moments of practice, which occurred during sexual health communication projects in the Nyanga township, this article examines how and why these particular outcomes emerged, and explains my concerns over this outcome and its apparent inherent contradiction with the notion that applied theatre practice is based on creating a dialogue. Yet the suspicion that something else was occurring in these moments leads to the proposal of another viewpoint, where by situating the practice and the resulting outcomes within both a healthcare framework and one of tactical action, alternative explanations become apparent: that the individuals' actions were tactical acts of protection and resistance in an environment where life is not always ‘tolerable’.