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Kathmandu Monday February 26, 2001 Falgun 15, 2057.
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Theatre effective tool for change: Etherton
Michael Etherton, presently the Head of the Save the Children UK Regional
Office is a key player in promoting the concept of Theatre for Development in Nepal. He
has specialized in African Theatre and authored a book ‘The Development of African
Drama’, 1983. He has taught theatre in University of Zambia, Zambia and Nigeria. He
has lectured in theatre most of his working life in universities in Africa and the UK and
has been involved in development for last 13years.
Michael Etherton talks to Utpal Raj Misra about Theatre for Development (TfD)
and its state in South Asia. Excerpts:
TKP- How did the concept of TfD came into existence and how did it start in
South Asia?
Etherton - In Africa while working in both Zambia and in
Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria in the late 60s and in the 70s we were part of the
international movement around the popular theatre. Popular Theatre was what the Theatre
for development was called then. Popular Theatre was a theatre that mobilized the
communities for social change. One of the notable figures in the popular theatre then was
Augusto Bowal who wrote a book called "Theatre of the Oppressed" and this became
very much an occult book and the work that he was developing has played into Theatre for
Development now.
It was in some instances a protest theatre but in many instance a theatre of
community engagement. And its strength was that it did not come with a preset notion as to
what the play should be about. The community suggested the plays the community problems
were the focus of the drama and not just depicting those problems but also trying to get
to appoint where the community would do something about the problem. So it was very much a
theatre of community empowerment.
TKP- How was the experience introducing the concept in South Asia?
Etherton - We did not actually introduce the concept in
South Asia. The interesting thing about this popular theatre was that the South Asians
were doing it without realizing that the Africans, Latin Americans and people from the
other parts of the world were doing it. It is very much a home-grown thing.
The concept consequently developed in the South Asia into the political
theatre and it is a short step from being an ideological political theatre to becoming a
theatre for political parties. What happened in Asia was that the performance became very
good but actually it was a pre-determined content not something that evolved from the
community.
TKP- What is the present state of TfD in Nepal?
Etherton - There is wider movement going on in Nepal than in
other South Asian countries. It is linked into a wider movement where very poor children
are saying that we have rights to participate and express ourselves and we must use this
right otherwise if we rely on adults nothing will ever get better for children as poor as
us.
There are many organizations and groups working for the children here in
Nepal. Actually this is a tool for that work of children who are saying let’s decide
for ourselves, let’s not get into the aid dependency syndrome of our adults who
won’t do anything they get money from the donors, let’s see what we can do for
ourselves.
TKP- What are the challenges that the children (on whom the TfD programme is
mainly directed in Nepal) are facing in the process of identifying their problems?
Etherton- The children are facing a major challenge and this
challenge is summed up in the word representation. Very often an adult INGO or NGO or a UN
body says we want some children to participate and some children are selected to
participate. But who those children represent? The whole issue of representation is really
complex. You can’t just have a group of children representing because different
groups may have different demands and probably the high caste children will dominate the
other children and most probably the boys will dominate the girls. So the challenge is how
do they sort out who has the most pressing needs and they have to sort it out themselves.
So how do they work it out? And the great thing is they want to work it out, around the
groups of children they want to bring out their most genuine needs of the most
disadvantaged.
TKP- What could the other development programs learn from TfD?
Etherton- There is quite a lot of Street theatre going on in
Nepal and I think it would be excellent if it were to be a little bit more independent of
outside donors. If it was more at the disposal of the disadvantaged community rather than
the donors which generally want some messages conveyed.
If you are actually going to do theatre a preachy theatre is less effective
than the theatre, which engages with the community. Street theatre ultimately is a part of
process of telling the poor and the disadvantaged people what is good for them rather than
the poor and the disadvantaged finding out their key problem. That’s where street
theatre could learn from TfD.
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