"What follows is a fascinating account of 50 experiments in empowering people— living in poor communities across the world—to seize control of their own life stories and begin to change their circumstances of poverty, discrimination and exclusion. Alfonso Gumucio spent nearly one year researchin
...
g and interviewing sources for “Making Waves,” and has been actively involved in every phase of production. “Alfonso’s voice” is evident throughout this work, and it is a tribute to what makes him the ultimate communicator: he has the soul of the good poet and filmmaker that he is, combined with an unwavering sense of justice and fairness. Following the first introductory chapter—which explains the field of participatory communication for social change and how it is evolving—you will read 50 illustrations of the power of community decision-making and action. Many of the stories are about community radio. We hope you don’t find this tedious; but our research and conversations certainly suggest that community-based radio is one of the best ways to reach excluded or marginalised communities in targeted, useful ways." (Foreword by Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
more
"This is a book about an inter-continental community theatre project. It is an attempt to gain a better understanding of this increasingly popular cultural practice that operates on the cutting edge between performing arts and sociocultural intervention. The main emphasis in this book, and in the ac
...
companying video, has been placed on the diverse mechanics and inspirations of community theatre as an artistic process that always evolves under very particular local sociocultural conditions. Through written word and moving image, this package thus documents, contextualizes, and theorizes the methods that were used to create six community performances in distinct locations around the world in the course of 1997. Both in the video and in the book I have opted to tell these six tales as relatively independent narratives. I recommend watching the appropriate video segments before reading each book chapter, which provides the background about (community) theatre in each particular region, the facilitators, the organizations they work in, the evolution of their method, and a more technically oriented case study of the distinctive approach they used to create one specific community theatre performance in 1997." (Introduction, page 1)
more
"Ce qui suit, c’est un fascinant catalogue de cinquante expériences qui permirent à des résidents de communautés pauvres de par le monde de prendre le contrôle de leur histoire, et de commencer à changer les circonstances de leur pauvreté, de leur discrimination, de leur exclusion. Alfonso
...
Gumucio a passé presque un an à rechercher et interroger des sources pour ce travail, et s’est impliqué dans chacune des phases de la conception. La « voix d’Alfonso » résonne dans toute cette oeuvre qui est un hommage à ce qui fait de lui le communicateur par excellence : il a l’âme du poète et du réalisateur de talent qu’il est, combinée à un sens inébranlable de la justice et de l’équité. Après le chapitre introductif sur le rôle que joue la communication participative dans le changement social et son évolution, vous pourrez lire cinquante exemples qui illustrent le pouvoir que donnent l’action et la prise de décision communautaires. La plupart d’entre eux relatent de radios communautaires. Nous espérons que vous ne trouverez pas cela fastidieux, mais nos recherches et conversations nous ont conduits à conclure que la radio communautaire représente l’un des meilleurs moyens d’atteindre les communautés exclues ou marginalisées, et ce de manière ciblée et utile." (Préface de Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
more
"1. Communications are central to rights-based approaches to development. This includes rights to receive information and exercise a voice, as well as freedom of information and media activity. 2. Communications and media play an important role in strengthening civil society. Civil society organisat
...
ions benefit from means of networking, and opportunities to lobby or advocate on certain issues. Different methods of communicating can also influence policy decisions. 3. A strategic approach to communications will improve project success, and can provide a set of questions to assist in planning and implementation. By planning communications components of projects, and co-ordinating activities, considerable benefits can be gained. Although each initiative is different, there are generic issues to raise for all uses of communications. 4. The use of mass media such as television and radio can help fulfil a variety of development aims. Although not always appropriate, large and small mass media interventions can be considered. 5. A variety of alternative media offer a range of different options. Alternative media can give people a space to express themselves, and can provide relevant information. Examples include small-scale radio, indigenous cultural activities and drama, and e-mail discussion groups. 6. Participation and participatory approaches are a key part of good communications practice. All media give scope for some participatory input, and some can be successfully combined with other participatory methodologies." (Quick reference, page 3)
more
"This collection • reveals the dynamic position of the arts and culture in post-independent countries through changes in both influences and audiences; • shows African theatre to be about aesthetics and rituals, the sociological and the political, the anthropological and the historical; • exam
...
ines theatre’s role as a performing art that represents ethnic identities and defines intercultural relationships; • investigates African theatre’s capacity to combine contemporary cultural issues into the whole artistic fabric of performing arts; • considers the variety of voices, forms and practices through which contemporary African intellectual circles are negotiating the forces of tradition and modernity." (Back cover)
more
"This work is an attempt to use theatre in a political context to create a truer form of democracy - a method to engage the populace. At the heart of Boal's method of Forum Theatre - which is already used in diverse contexts - is the dual meaning of the verb "to act": to perform and take action. In
...
'Legislative Theatre' he takes one stage further his concept of the "spect-actor" - the spectator who intervenes in an unresolved scenario on stage and attempts to break a depicted cycle of oppression. As a politician in his native Rio de Janeiro, Boal demonstrated that his ideas of mixing theatre and politics could generate needed legislation and social change. This amazing work includes full explanation of the development and principles of legislative theatre and a description of the process in operation in Rio. Also included are essays, speeches, and lectures on Popular Theatre, Paulo Freire, cultural activism, and the point of playwriting that Boal has written since his involvement with Brazilian Parliament." (Intermediate Technology Bookshop 2000 catalogue)
more
"Making People's Theatre is a practical and accessible guide to the theatre process from forming a group through choosing a script, directing, lighting and set design to performance and touring. As a fascintaing supplement to the general guide, Kavanagh uses the text of an existing play to offer spe
...
cific examples of the steps in the play-making process. Robert Kavangah (McLaren), who lectures in the drama department of the University of Zimbabwe, has a long history of practical involvement in popular theatre in South Africa, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. In addition to the general guide, McLaren uses the text of an existing play to offer more specific examples of the techniques and skills required in the making of popular theatre." (Publisher description)
more
"This is a booklet with expenences of drama and theatre practices in Western Kenya. Practices that have in common that they were — in one way or another— aiming at development at a “grassroots” level. Something else they have in common is that these expenences are only known by a limited num
...
ber of people. Performers are mostly concerned about the now-and-how and not so much about recording their expenences [...] The overall aim of this booklet is to expose the potential of drama/theatre as a learning rnedium, a working rnethod and a cornmurncation tool. This could inform grassroots NGOs, educationalists, drama teachers, theatre workers, animators, youth groups, community leaders, development organizations and policy makers." (Introduction, page 5)
more
"Mass media campaigns can be effective at communicating health information to a mass audience rather inexpensively. Critics of mass media health campaigns often contend, however, that interpersonal communication is more effective at changing behavior. Conversely, interpersonal communication activiti
...
es to promote health can be effective at changing behavior, but critics have argued that they have certain limitations such as being expensive and personal (perhaps intrusive), and that they provide nonstandardized information. The present study is an evaluation of a street theater format in Peru that combined the advantages of mass and interpersonal communication to improve family planning knowledge and attitudes. The street theater was effective in decreasing misinformation concerning modern contraceptive methods." (Abstract)
more
"Myron J. Pereira, SJ, brings together his years of experience in Development Communication as the director of ASTHA, a department of the Xavier Institute of Communications, Bombay. In this book he deals with sound slides, video, audio-cassettes and posters, street-plays and puppets and how they can
...
be effectively used to transform the society. Essentially this is a 'how to' book. Numerous media practitioners are not professionals in any way. They are teachers, pastors, social workers, community organizers and political activists. But they are aware of the influence of modern communications and they would like to improve their skills and widen their perspectives both in communication and with the media. The book is meant for them." (Back cover)
more