Pandemic era and theatre for development interventions: Experiences from two educational theatres in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

The magnitude of health and socio-economic challenges which the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic posed to human communities on a global scale cannot be overemphasised. It was so unprecedented a development that imperatively triggered off not just an urgent necessity for solution; but also the conscientisation of the generality of the world populace in order to properly guide people’s actions in navigating associated challenges of this inimical pandemic. Such prevailing sensitisation necessity incontrovertibly reinforced the potentiality of theatre as a highly viable, dynamic and powerful conscientisation medium in meeting the vital conscientisation need of the time. The study, therefore, is an attempt to highlight Theatre for Development (TfD) intervention experiences from two educational theatres in Southeast Nigeria in fitting into this profound ‘conscientisation’ mould within their performance environments under the period; and a further assessment of the level of impact of the evolving performances in promptly guiding the actions of their target audiences during the period. Findings actually reveal remarkable positive impacts of the evolving performances in the two educational theatre experiences in promptly guiding the actions of their target audiences during the period. This, in conclusion, essentially encapsulates theatre’s remarkable role in its propensity as a social phenomenon, which has all through the ages established itself as not just a functional; but also a veritable educational communication tool in the universality of human societies.