"The Seed That Sprouts Theatre": A Case Study of Theatre for Development in Eritrea
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Abstract
This thesis examines the Theatre for Development (TfD) initiatives of UK theatre practitioner Jane Plastow in Eritrea. In particular, it focuses on the Eritrean Community-Based Theatre Project, a project undertaken by Plastow in collaboration with the Eritrean government in the mid-1990s that attempted to use community-based theatre as a tool for social development in post-independence Eritrea. Drawing upon interviews with Jane Plastow and other participants in the project, this thesis reflects on the effectiveness of the ECBTP in facilitating the emergence of an Eritrean people’s theatre, as well as identifying key challenges that TfD practitioners face in an Eritrean context. Building upon these observations, it seeks to offer some suggestions as to what role TfD might play in the future development of Eritrea.