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Tanzanian elections 2000 - Women's participation in a new democracy
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Small World Theatre (SWT) have just returned from Tanzania where the artistic directors, Ann Shrosbree and Bill Hamblett have been working with Tanzanian theatre groups using drama as research to explore the reasons that may prevent women from participating in the forthcoming election. The project was funded by the British Council in Tanzania.
In October Tanzania is having its second ever multi-party election. Two performers from SWT, Wales in partnership with the British Council are collaborating with a group of Tanzanian performers to find out what prevents people, particularly women in poor communities, from participating in the election by voting and standing as candidates.
The use of participatory theatre as a research tool and the introduction of life size puppets of women into the process has enabled people living in poor communities around Dar es Salaam to create the stories which reflect their lives. These have become part of performances which the actors later replay to larger audiences in those communities. Audiences are joining in, changing the play, arguing with the characters and each other and generally exploring the nature of democracy.
A larger than life puppet figure, "Bwana Democracia", chairs the proceedings and provides factual information such as who is eligible, how and where to register etc. As the large puppet head is revealed, the actors arms in the puppet's sleeves start to animate and his voice booms out, the younger members of the audience scatter with squeals of fear and delight while those of voting age hear how Mr Democracy is weak and has come to find out why the people of Tegeta, Kunduchi, Kawe or Mbagala are not interested in voting. He is only strong when people participate.
The performance follows using characters created by the community in the theatre research process using real stories. These include:
*a woman with a small business selling doughnuts from a roadside stall who waits for a long promised loan until a road widening scheme destroys her modest enterprise.
*another woman who is furious when she has her lighted cooking stove stolen from outside her house when she goes inside to fetch a pan. Fierce debate within the audience as to the reasons for an increase in petty crime usually follows.
*a young woman who is a teacher and wants to stand as a candidate has a hard time convincing her father that women can be leaders. Some women in the audience support her and others say it is unnatural for a woman to have demanding work which takes her away from home. *fishermen hold an auction of mime fish on a real beach with participation from 800 or so people who are also discussing the pros and cons of fishing versus voting on polling day. *a corrupt politician bribes the audience and makes impossible promises like beer in the taps (there are taps but no water supply in some of the communities) and changing the direction of the wind (to blow away air pollution from a concrete factory which causes health problems).
The crowds are gathered with drumming and singing and that international trademark of electoral campaigns - the squeaky megaphone!. Expecting a political speech or partisan message theatre, people in these communities have expressed their appreciation of this voter education initiative saying “ this is a new thing for us, no one came to find out what we think before, I hope this will be the future.”
The Tanzanian group is now funded via the British Council to continue during the preselection period.
N.B. My understanding is that the word for education in Swahili has a broader meaning which encompasses awareness and enlightenment.
Ann Shrosbree is also involved with another British Council project in Nepal concerned with gender and human rights. The third phase is currently being planned, work will build on the participatory theatre methodology utilized on previous visits. Masks play a part in this work. Both in Tanzania and in Nepal she has found it necessary to start with intensive gender training for both men and women within the theatre community before any work in the wider world. Could this be appropriate in Wales?.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2000 |
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