EXPLORES THE GENRE IN GHANA
This explores the implications of my physical observation in the field -lab sites, and other communities, and my analysis of the data thereof against the background of the theoretical framework of TFD, its implications and my association with other field experiences. The chapter holds discussions on how TFD has performed in relation to concept, methodology and practice in Ghana as practised by SPA since the beginnings. This is epitomised in the selection of the lab sites of urban Kisseman (Exogenous, 1991/92) in southern Ghana, and rural Naaha (Endogenous, 1998/99) in northern-western Ghana. It is this cross-section of experiences that I call, quite loosely though, the Ghanaian Experience.
The Ghanaian Experience identifies with the concepts that exist in other countries like Nigeria, Botswana, and Kenya and as proffered by Boal, Abah, Kidd, Friere, Prentki, Plastow, Ngugi, Arkhurst, Etherton, and Eyoh. The Ghanaian Experience thus among others preaches-
a) the training of students in TFD
b) the masses participation in policies that affect their lives
c) the solving of communal problems (social issues)
d) transference of the form to the Community
e) an improvement in the lives of the masses
Rather unfortunately, there exists a gap between the concept and the methodology as drafted by SPA that stems from the rather problematic marriage between academia in Ghana and the concept. The subtle nature of this union creates in the mind of the student the mentality of an academic exercise and not of a community developmental service. Most students do the course to secure their grades. Indeed that is the focus although in the achievement thereof, the community interaction can not be avoided. This has adversely affected the three cardinals of the concept (problem solving/ solution finding, TFD form transference, and TFD form management and sustenance).
Much as the methodology- approach and curriculum seem rather well crafted, focus seems to rather be on the activities leading to, and including the post performance discussion, and not on the follow up and post project situation analysis stages. Hence students often assume that their projects are over as soon as the performance and post performance discussions are ended. This could be attributed to the fact that the Theatre Department rather than a Social Work Department trains students in TFD. It is therefore not surprising that it is after a decade that an evaluation (post project) has been conducted.
These projects may lose their essence and be viewed as mere entertainment especially so as these practices achieve little although the approach is potent in awareness creation. This approach (theatre only with outsider group) is effective in awareness creation it assumes the politics of the situation (teacher-student)- an already aware person trying to make another aware of situations. This represents a clear case of an experienced person sharing with inexperienced persons. Usually then the outsider approach that makes the facilitators assume the experienced status provides this desired effect.
Hence, very little is done to pursue the project to its logical conclusion by the community after the post performance discussion. It is also in view of some of these peculiar field cases that I have suggested that emphasis be put on implementation. I have introduced the sharpening of some elements of the methodology. For the concept to be fully represented, it is important the methodology and practice 'covers' the scope of the ideologies.
It should be noted that the practice is a derivative of the dynamics of associations with concept and methodology. It is from there that the practice is created. Having identified gaps and deficiencies in the emphasis of the methodology, it should be expected that the practice would be adjusted to address these gaps even though the peculiarities of the field tend to affect the application of and adherence to the methodology.
The concept is laudable, but the masses do not know the concept. The question however is: "Do they need to know?" Their knowledge of it evokes usage and application. It is sad then that the methodology is also not known thoroughly. In the past, story-creation and performance was known and well practiced through the storytelling sessions but there has been a deep absence in the practice of these sessions. There is a need for intensive research that would define a viable and effective follow-up process, and ensure smooth management and sustenance of the projects
within the communities.
All across Africa and even off the continent TFD projects have began to emerge in their numbers. Although the central ideas, concepts and ideologies have been the same the practice in the fields have yielded some differences that can be attributed to complex cultural differences and cultural orientations. The cardinal features of this are: community theatre/popular theatre, participatory rural appraisal and Augusto Boal's 'Forum Theatre'. From the peculiarities of the field, it can be clearly seen that theatre can be really effective as a medium for development communication, conscientization of the rural people and the awakening of communal participation in developmental projects. Through theatre then an effective two-way communication process is attained on the basis of genuine involvement on the part of facilitators and the community.
As the field peculiarities in Ghana and indeed in other areas suggest, Theatre for Development has the potential to awaken the masses to think, discuss and collectively pursue actions that benefit them directly. The question often asked remains to what extent does Theatre for Development succeed in solving communal problems of the
rural community? The awareness is created; people are made conscious of
their rights, problems, and potential. The people are incited to take action to address these communal issues. Yet another question is what is the role of Theatre for Development practitioners in effectively equipping the masses to deal practically with
the actual problems of the community? Have the members of the community been equipped enough through workshops, durbars and other plenary sessions to address these communal issues on their own? Or is it a case of censorship by the powerful minority?
Much as Ghana has seen some amount of imposition of the message by the minority on the majority very little has been seen of censorship and that level of persecution associated with such masses awakening experiences. Ghana in this sense has not suffered the fate of the Kamiriithu Experience (Mlama, 1994; Etherton, 1982). Fortunately we have not also suffered very much the constraints of censorship as Mda remarks of the Cameroon Experience by Eyoh. This fortunate situation has an adverse aspect yet. It has failed to equip as with the zeal and passion often generated from the effects of persecution. This lack of persecution could be attributed to the fact that so far the issues treated in these projects have not been that regarded as politically dangerous.
As finance is key and is needed for any development project, it is of extreme importance to know the source of funding for the project during the implementation stage. This could be part of the post performance discussions that is the basis for communal action. The funding variations in TFD have been discussed earlier in this writing. I herein draw attention to the Botswana model offered in the Laedza Batanani Project. In 1976 to ensure sustenance and continuity in projects, a national committee was set to procure, manage and administer funds. In this Ghanaian context, I identify the SPA (Theatre Arts Department) as one such body that can function as this national committee.
In the area of funding, SPA could do better to collaborate between NGOs and the students to achieve effective sponsorship and thorough TFD practice through live-ins, workshops, facilitator training, just to mention a few. SPA can then appoint supervisors who ensure the project is effectively carried out. This collaboration between sponsors, donor agencies and SPA has not been effected yet. Finance is essential to the success of all projects. This includes the trickles of funding to the torrents of sponsorship that can be gleaned even from the communities. Indeed, in the long run this dependency on outside-the-community funding would have to give way to self-sponsorship.
The recent development of the teaming up of students for sponsorship from governmental and non-governmental organisations to undertake their projects is in the right direction if these organisations take up some of the responsibility of project
implementation. Although, Ogunbiyi has reservations with this association, I think it is in the right direction for the organisations and institutions that TFD criticises to be educated through this collaboration. This could be leading to the education of the minority as Butake asserts. The collaboration stresses the organisations' realisation of the impact of Theatre for Development. Their involvement in the projects could provide
employment opportunities to the TFD graduates. The Non-Formal Education Unit and the National Theatre Of Ghana, have also absorbed graduates into their pseudo TFD Campaign Unit.
After years of TFD practice and experimentation in Ghana, gaps have been identified in the implementation phase of most of the projects. There is the need to address these gaps and a more wholistic approach evolved to ensure total project sustenance, continuity and growth. In this quest, there is the need to fully appreciate the dynamic variables that exist in the different varying community profiles not only on regional levels but to the subtleties of the state of development, community composition, educational level to mention but a few. Irrespective of the culture in which a TFD project is initiated and the approach used, the enthusiasm, zeal, and consciousness created in the masses should be nurtured and their actions thereupon supported.
In Ghana, the practice of TFD is academic based and deeply rooted in the course content of the School Of Performing Arts- University of Ghana. Thus far as the project has been rather skewed in practice towards the training of students in TFD.
In view of this not much has been achieved to manage and sustain the programme in the communities. I herein to some extent share the sentiments of Biodun Jeyifo , in calling for TFD to move out of the universities. This 'awakening' need not be inspired by these institutions but by the communities themselves as Abah asserts. This will end the issue of creating "discourses of intervention from shielded citadels." Indeed this initial style by SPA and other institutions are necessary to evoke the needed response with the passage of time. In this regard, I have to admit, to some extent with Bole Butake , that the urban minority rather needs to be educated.
The above deliberation points to five main assertions that my findings have evolved from the field experiences. These reflect the peculiarities of the two lab sites advised by a host of other Experiences across the country carried out by SPA, this is still in acknowledgement of the assumption that TFD is practised in its near purest form only by SPA.
In the training of the students of TFD, the curriculum would also have to place emphasis on the follow up stages to ensure solution implementation. The training should also evolve a practice of close association with NGOs' and social services that are in the field of community and rural development. The focus so heavily laid on theatre could be spread evenly to accord all stages the needed importance and attention. Facilitator training and the training of persons to lead the post performance discussion and other sectors of the project should also feature strongly in the training. The training could assign students on fieldwork during the vacation to particular NGOs who would learn from the student as well as the student from these organisations.
In view of the multi-diverse cultural nature of Ghana and its associate multiplicity of tongues it would do a lot of good if TFD students were trained to speak another language during training. This language acquisition will come with the learning of the culture and traditions. This could gradually eliminate the translator and interpreter role that often distils some aspects of information. The other technical language of photography needs to be learnt so that some of these field peculiarities can be at worst recorded in permanent language that communicates with the visual. Boal (Boal, 1985. p. 123) can lift this from the discourse on photographs.
The rather broad area of implementation (without follow up) creates a shallow experience with the immense potential of TFD. In this wise it should be noted that the scattered system has the tendency to create a kangaroo kind of practice where little is achieved not as a result of the concept or approach but by the shallow implementation.
The shallow implementation phase traceable to the rather limiting confines of academia need addressing if the TFD concept and practice is to grow to its potential and contribute its full quota to national development. In this SPA must take concrete steps to rectify this abnormally forthwith. The existing practice is stifling the growth of the rather promising mode of development and kind of theatre.
These notwithstanding, SPA has achieved great success when compared to the overwhelming efforts that militate its growth and success. The field experiences point to success stories in Naaha, Kisseman, Kwasu, and Navrongo among a host of other areas where TFD has curtailed the rather high rate of incidence of social problems, here I make special mention of Nima and the incidence of poliomyelitis. Great success has also been achieved in bringing the decision-makers and those for whom the decision is made together, not to mention how TFD has brought academia into the very reach of the ordinary masses. The implications are immense and can not be quantified by figures or by their suitability to expected goals. Indeed these benefits mature in other areas that even include the growth of self-confidence in the masses.
REFLECTIONS
The in-Ghana Experience of TFD is barely two decades old. It is therefore not very surprising that the form is now consolidating itself into academia and indeed into the communities (the northern as well as the southern territories of Ghana). In the northern parts most of the projects have been in the Upper East and Upper West Regions with a few scattered in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions. In southern Ghana the Greater Accra region has seen most of the projects, however, the Eastern and the Central regions of Ghana have witnessed a few projects. The Volta Region and the Western Region have witnessed the least of projects. These manifestations have appropriated different approaches of the three variants at the disposal of TFD. It is therefore proper to examine the achievements in that sense to ascertain what project is more effective in problem solving.
In this guise an exploration of the SPA projects over the years can be categorised into two broad streams as coming from the northern and southern belts of Ghana. These thus can be taken as representative of the Ghanaian Experience in the broadest sense. The Naaha project on Girl Child Education and the Kisseman on Water Supply are the manifestations of the cross-sectioned analysis. Of these cases two approaches (endogenous and exogenous) were appropriated.
On close examination I identify two fundamental concerns. These TFD projects in the short-run achieved their set goals that were not to train the communities but to create awareness, and to solve specific problems. In setting of project objectives therefore I identify problems. Much as it is difficult to separate the solving of problems from sustenance of the solution, most SPA projects have managed to create this gap and effect this separation. Hence, the projects rather parochially focused on the solving of particular problems but failed to realise the transference of the knowledge of the process to the community. It is this transference, management and funding that work together to sustain the community-arrived on solutions.
Where the project effected some significant level of transference, as in the Kwasu Project, the community appropriated the technique for awhile visiting other communities after a rather deep exploration of their own concerns. Funding soon becomes a problem as they could not sustain the out -of-station expenses. Why did they reach out when it was cheaper to mind their own business? Indeed, how could they sustain and keep visiting other communities with projects? I believe there was more bite in rather focusing on their community that certainly would have been less expensive to sustain. This is not to dismiss the need for some regular and reliable, non-political source of funding for such projects.
It is a call then for the training of the community to evolve a group that will focus on the appropriation of TFD in the community. Much as this may not be a full time job for all the actors there could be the creation of a few permanent staff with auxiliary staff who assist when the need arises. Other groups already existing in the Communities could be de-politicised and so selected that a non-partisan group is formed to attend to communal issues. This group could be remunerated from time to time from a special created source of funding.
In this wise many have offered solutions ranging from communal levies, through NGO sponsorship to District Assembly financing. I do not intend to enter into that discussion, however, I maintain that funding is making the effects of TFD wear off the communities visited.
As stated earlier the need for transference of the TFD know-how has been very successful in the training of TFD students, but these have not filtered through the SPA TFD projects to the masses that are in constant conversation with the communal problems. In effect it has only remained an academic exercise for students who are content to speed off the project after the first of the three phases because of the rather problematic marriage between academia and the TFD conceptualised procedure. Of the methodology available by SPA I identify loosely three broad categories- Mobilisation, Implementation, and Verification. Students of SPA, graduate from school after the mobilisation stage. It is rather superficial to expect results that can be achieved more easily had the project traversed this stage. The Kisseman Project speaks to this effect as Anastasia Agbenyegah asserts. As a national service person Agbenyegah was equipped to traverse beyond the mobilisation stage to ensure that the implementation stage was initiated. It was this effort that resulted in the re-connection of pipe borne water for Kisseman. It is sad that the Chief of Kisseman fails to connect the TFD performance with the provision of water in the community.
Students then must be taught to see the project as a totality of the approaches and not the pursuance of the initial stage only.
In this rather infantile stage it should be recognised that the successes made so far only serve as the tip of the iceberg. A lot can be achieved in fact TFD is a long way from the ultimate situation. The ultimate situation should not be seen only as a state of independence in the management, sustenance and funding of the TFD form and concept by the communities, but rather should include the broadening of the TFD base of study. This is a situation wherein students begin to specialise in areas of TFD as playwriting, research, performance and rehearsals in the round, directing a TFD play/project, ensuring transference, management, to mention but a few. The community on the other hand must realise that their arts can factor to change communal issues and improve their lives and hence need no outsider to cause this awakening. The toddler then must be guided and supported if he should grow up to be an adult. I herein recall a proverb I learnt in the Naaha Community: "It is one man who kills an elephant but not one man who skins it".
The Journey of Discovery has been very interesting bringing me into contact with diverse situations and facts, but most importantly it brought me into contact with people who were as human as me their only disadvantage being having born into those rather unfortunate circumstances. There were times when 'emotion' was rather weak a word to describe what I deeply felt but it was reassuring to realise that these people had immense potential and zeal that could change their circumstances. The journey at these moments put smiles and joy into my heart. Indeed the joy and smiles did not take away the rather interesting and tough conditions I had to endure besides conjuring funds for the project. I recall one such experience.
"Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times - although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in the voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optional experience is thus something that we make happen.
For a child, it could be placing with trembling fingers the last block on a tower she has built, higher than any she has built so far; ... For each person there are thousands of opportunities, challenges to expand ourselves.
Such experiences are not necessarily pleasant at the time they occur. The swimmer's muscles might have ached during his most memorable race, his lungs might have felt like exploding, and he might have been dizzy with fatigue." For me the whole research was one such moment, but I recall one such wonderful moment during the research- Dalun-Gumbungu (GDCP).
The journey to Dalun brought lots of memories but also whispered to me a deep truth-each and every community has its rhythm. Development then should co-exist as a different beat in the same rhythm: a different instrument embellishing the sound of harmony!
The cheap fare of a ¢ 1,000 for a journey of almost 40 kilometres sounded unbelievable. The cheap fare was soon compensated for in the type of vehicle for the journey- a tipper truck! As you sit at the edge of a bumpy moving truck (has a load of sand in it) with the sun blazing down on your head is rather an activity that requires great caution. One requires extreme caution especially if one is to avoid being thrown off overboard into the huge cloud of dust that slowly steals away from the truck!