AFRO-NETS> Theatre for Social Change

[Janet Feldman <kaippg@earthlink.net>]

Theatre for Social Change
-------------------------
(see original message at end of mail)
 
Dear Tah Protus and All,
 
Hello and fantastic to read about all of your life-saving activities 
and see you here! And to know that you will be speaking at the con-
ference, which should indeed help to spread the word about the use of 
the arts to address HIV/AIDS. You are right to point out that the 
arts can be used in places where other communication methods are 
sorely lacking, though even this has limits due to lack of transpor-
tation, for instance, which is true in terms of our own efforts in 
Kenya. The good news is that the GFATM has funded an organization in 
Kenya called Sanaa Productions, which is using the arts in just this 
way, and myself and others are searching for and running across 
grants and grant makers who are interested if not eager to listen to 
the message we are trying to send!
 
Part of the good news, besides the above, is that I see the arts be-
ing used more and more everywhere in this invaluable way, and have 
been forming an international arts coalition -- called ActALIVE (Arts 
for Creative Transformation: Activism, Lifeline, Inspiration, Vision, 
Education) -- composed of the groups and individuals I am running 
across, about 170 now from 20+ countries! And so many more I am read-
ing about and hearing of every day, like yourself! All of our members 
are clamouring for funds and technical support, and this will be a 
challenge, but with such great numbers and commitment, we cannot help 
but have an effect, and hopefully make a difference.
 
We would be delighted to welcome you as a member (it's free and noth-
ing to do unless so inclined), and there is an e-forum to which I am 
posting this note now (you can subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to 
<actalive-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> ). Also, there is a terrific or-
ganization called Art4Development -- to which I will also post this 
note -- which has 600+ members in 70 countries, and their e-forum is 
a great resource for arts-related postings. You can subscribe to that 
by visiting the website at http://www.art4development.net or sub-
scribing to the forum by sending a blank email to:
<art4development-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> .
 
I and we in ActALIVE would love to hear more about the work you do, 
and what you will be saying to the conference participants in Septem-
ber, and I am also copying this to some folks who are working on 
various HIV/AIDS-education and prevention projects using the arts (in 
the US and elsewhere), as I'm sure they would be interested to con-
nect with you. I hope that this is the first of many discussions be-
tween ourselves and in these e-forums about how we can realize our 
dreams and goals (there are plans afoot in some of Kenya-affiliated 
forums to develop a grant writing team and proposal), and I thank you 
for bringing this up, and your own work to us! With all best wishes 
and yours in dramatic dreamings,
 
Janet Feldman, Director/Founder
KAIPPG/International and ActALIVE
mailto:kaippg@earthlink.net
http://www.kaippg.org
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Tah Tawang <trukong@yahoo.com>
Subject: knowing you knowing me!
 
 
Dear friends,
 
I am pleased to share with you what we do in the domain of fighting 
HIV/AIDS. I'd also like to share my fears with you as regards where 
we might fail.
 
RIFIT Productions (Ripple Film and Theatre Productions) is a not-for-
profit Non-Governmental Organization based in Cameroon, West Africa. 
We use STOP-START theatre for social change towards HIV/AIDS. To us, 
this is the most effective weapon that can help break the hard shell 
of stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and thus pave the way for voluntary 
counselling and medication. When we hear of the millions of dollars 
coming into Africa as aid, we thank God but laugh sadly, because the 
aid doesn't aid the AIDS pandemic. How will the infected get treated 
if they don't know and accept that they are infected? Condoms pro-
tect! But the users need to know if they are free or infected! TV, 
radio and newspapers carry most useful education. But how many people 
in Africa, in the villages, have access to these modern media? In my 
community, less than 3% of the rural population have access to a ra-
dio, let alone a TV set. Who can buy a newspaper with the gaping pov-
erty? How than does the well prepared messages get to these target 
populations?
 
That is where my fears lie. And that is why we use our kind of thea-
tre, an ambulant flexible package composed of music, magic, spontane-
ous improvisation, choreography and folklore to effectively reach the 
grassroots people. Our performances are accompanied by lectures from 
"technicians" and discussions. But unfortunately, we are not much 
known. So, we plough the field but there is no one to follow with the 
"seeds".
 
The reason we are not known might be because what we do is new and 
sounds crazy to donors. But it works. The American embassy in Camer-
oon confirmed this when RIFIT Productions used STOP-START theatre in 
2000 to effectively reduce (if not stop) the hitherto rampant bloody 
inter tribal conflicts that used to rage in the North West Province 
of Cameroon.
 
We would be glad to share our theatre skills with you.
 
Presently, I, Tah Protus, the executive director, am taking a course 
in Playback Theatre at the Vassar College of Playback Theatre, New 
York. I was also privileged to attend the Global Health Council con-
ference in Washington DC this June, where I learnt much from fellow 
participants. I have been invited by the American NGO, US PRIDE 
INTERNATIONAL Inc., to give a series of talks on using theatre as a 
weapon for breaking stigma at an international conference on Fighting 
HIV/AIDS in Africa. The conference holds from September 6 - 9, in the 
Maryland University Marriot Hotel and Conference Centre. These ex-
periences will certainly add new ingredients to our theatre arsenal. 
Mail us or invite us to seminars and we can exchange ideas about our 
approach to social issues plaguing humanity.
 
While hoping to hear from you, I wish you success in your exalting 
contributions towards making the world God so graciously offered us a 
better place!
 
Tah Protus
Teacher, writer, actor & musician
mailto:trukong@yahoo.com
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