Using participatory theatre in international community development

Abstract

International community development is increasingly using theatre as a tool. This article analyses this use, arguing that for theatre to be successful to support social change and development, participatory practice must be at its core. In exploring this, it looks at what affects theatre's success in supporting social change and development and what hinders its use as a tool, and offers suggestions to practitioners and supporting bodies interested in using participatory theatre. Theatre and its many forms are increasingly being recognized as a useful tool for international community development. This article looks at the development and effectiveness of theatre as a tool and argues that, for great- est impact, participatory approaches must be central to practice. This argu- ment aims to encourage practitioners, agencies and donors to be more conscious of how participatory approaches are incorporated into any devel- opment strategy using theatre. Theatre has long been used as a tool for change, whether in the form of social commentary as seen in Shakespearean theatre, the political theatre of Brecht in Germany during the 1930s or direct action as used in anti-war rallies in the 1970s. Aronson (2005, Looking into the Abyss: Essays on Scenography, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI.) argues that theatre has been both a laboratory and battlefield for emerging and evolving ideas of a growing society. At times it has been a powerful tool for change, while at others it has been capable of being harnessed as a validation of