Locating scenography in theatre for development projects at the University of Zimbabwe: the case of ‘Safe Cities’ project

Abstract

ABSTRACTScenography has long been embedded in every performance. However, within the applied theatre performance culture, scenography has been relegated to the periphery in place of auditory aesthetics and efficacy. This paper argues that scenography is the glue that sticks together performative aspects of community theatre projects as well as providing a framework for meaning making. In this paper, we argue that costume, set and properties design in the Safe Cities (2015) project provided an important visual framework that characterised and communicated the objectives of the intervention project. Further, we argue that if the students had paid specialised attention to their scenographic designs and integrated them into the whole structure of their performance, the Safe Cities (2015) project would have become a complete performance, visually engaging and auditory inspiring the communities to engage their situation and seek change. Using Safe Cities (2015) as a case study of University of Zimbabwe Theatre for Development projects, we argue that scenography is a fundamental meaning making component in theatre for development projects.