The nature of Applied Theatre is that it involves application in a community. Philosophically and politically it is routed in an emancipatory paradigm which value (theatrical) dialogue as a method for generating social capital within a community. This stream is taught throughout the years, from level one to the PhD. Staff and students from Drama and Performance Studies (HC) currently engage the following communities:
- Westville Female Correctional Centre
- Bechet School, Sydenham
- Peripatetic community of pedestrians along the N3
- Traders of Warwick Junction and Early morning market
- Hillview Secondary, Newlands East
- Ethelbert Children’s Home
- LGTBI community in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Child-headed household in Cato Crest (through the NPO Mpower)
Community engagement will continue, and is made possible, through:
- Established links to communities based on relationships initiated by Drama and Performance Studies staff and students.
- Links with NPO’s such as dala and Mpower who have introduced us to key members of communities until end 2015.
- Funding from SANTAM, which supports Drama and Performance Studies creative community initiatives.
- Research productivity payouts fed back into community work.
Through its on-going partnership with FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY, the Dance Studies stream partners with FLATFOOT to help run and facilitate over 10 dance development and education programmes in KwaMashu, Umlazi, Claremont, Waterloo, Newlands, Umbilo and Durban Central. Through these projects, dance is used as an intervention for life-skills learning and teaching. For more information on these projects, please go to http://www.flatfootdancecompany.webs.com/