Applied Theatre in Africa: Borders, Boundaries and New Frontiers An international conference in Nigeria on Pan-African applied theatre.

The African continent is home to 54 countries, all of which define a variety of socio-political contexts. Africa has a complex and unique history of engaging issues of diverse nature expressed in multiple forms. Within that gamut of forms of expression is performance (theatre,songs, and dances). These practices go by different names, such as Theatre for Development, Community Theatre, and Theatre for Education. Numerous Theatre for Development (TfD) practitioners and scholars from the Global North have travelled to the region to share their own work and practices. The different African countries have also produced their own leaders in the field of TfD and popular theatre, including Oga Steve Abah (Nigeria), late Ndumbe Eyoh (Cameroon), Zakes Mda (South Africa), Penina Mlama(Tanzania), Mapopa Mtonga (Zambia), Dickson Mwanza (Zambia), Christopher Kamlongera (Malawi), and Stephen Chifunyise (Zimbabwe). Africa has also experienced several non-government organisations and Not-for-Profit organisations using various forms of TfD to educate and communicate various agendas, often without significant local input. The continent continues to face many challenges in this field. Might now be the time to redefine applied theatre and its role in Africa? What does reprioritizing and globally disseminating applied theatre methods and practices in socially engaged settings mean in Africa?

What would a new vision of applied theatre look like in Africa?

This international conference is envisioned as a mosaic, a space for applied theatre scholars, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and students-established and emerging – to engage and raise questions that will impact and shape the future of the field in the region and globally.
Through this critical gathering, we hope to braid and weave experiences and ideas, push the field’s boundaries, break ideological and physical borders, and offer new frontiers. We are excited to hear from researchers and practitioners who want to share their ideas that will advance the discourses of applied theatre in the region and beyond. Further, we invite ideas that will challenge singular narratives of doing good and offer new possibilities while simultaneously recognizing the foundations and roots that have brought the field to this moment in Africa.

As we critically engage with the field, we also aim to celebrate the various strides made across the region, from the establishment of multiple programs in tertiary institutions to the organization of festivals, conferences, and partnerships that continue to drive change in different communities; Africa’s applied theatre scene is thriving. We welcome new frontiers with hope and a critical eye, inviting both traditional and non-traditional presentations on the following sub-themes and more:

Sub-themes:
Theatre as a weapon for social change
Transformative learning
New Horizons in Applied Theatre
Theories and challenges of current issues

Historiography of theatre for development
Media, communication and development
Applied theatre methodologies in the context of Africa
Applied theatre and partnership within the region
Applied Theatre Research Methodologies
Reimagining communities in a fragmented global space
Ethics and ethical dimensions in applied theatre in Africa
Global South-Global North partnership in Applied Theatre
Applied theatre research and methodologies
Modern Trends in Applied Theatre
Submit your proposal for a research presentation, workshop, panel, poster, or short
performance: 250 words maximum with an author’s bio of 75 words through the link Here:

Timeline:
Call for paper closes November 30th , 2024
Abstract acceptance and letters of invitation December 31 st , 2024
Conference Date: February 24-26th , 2025

Conference Registration cost is as follows:
Participants from Nigeria: N25000
Graduate Students from Nigeria: N15000
International participants: $100
International graduate students: $50

After the call for proposals is closed, more information about the conference registration, accommodation, and other logistics will be provided.

Benue State University (BSU) will host the conference with the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre (C-SET) at the University of Regina, Canada, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, the United Kingdom.

Best regards,
Taiwo
—
Taiwo O. Afolabi, Ph.D. (he/him)
Artist | Researcher | Educator
www.taiwoafolabi.com

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