- Department of Theatre,
University of Victoria, BC
Taiwo Afolabi
University of Regina, Faculty of Media, Arts and Performance, Faculty Member
- University of Regina, Theatre, Faculty Memberadd
- Applied Drama and Theatre, Community Drama, Theatre for Development, Ethnography, Applied Ethics, Applied Drama/Theatre, Education, performing arts, Migration Studies, MDGs, SDGs, NGOs, and 17 moreArts-Based Participatory Action Research, Arts-Based Research, Arts-Based Educational Research, Media, Environmental Sustainability, Arts-based methodologies, Film Studies, Management Learning, Applied Drama/Theatre, Theatre in Education. Applied Drama, Theatre Pedagogy, Applied Theatre, Drama In Education, Theatre for Development, Forum Theatre, Community theatre, and Theatre Studiesedit
- An experienced artist, qualitative researcher, theatre manager, applied theatre practitioner, youth program developer... moreAn experienced artist, qualitative researcher, theatre manager, applied theatre practitioner, youth program developer and educator at the post-secondary level with a decade of experience in over fifteen countries across four continents. I am a detail-oriented, creative problem solver, a skilled facilitator, mentor and curriculum/program developer for groups across ages. My overall professional goal is to work in collaboration with youth and communities to counteract structural inequities and their manifestations through projects and programs grounded in social, cultural, environmental and economic justice. I am also: a Research Associate, Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, South Africaedit
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Ethical questioning is a framework for considering the ethical implications and practices in research and is used as a tool for thinking about the connections between art and health. It enables researchers and practitioners to gain a... more
Ethical questioning is a framework for considering the ethical implications and practices in research and is used as a tool for thinking about the connections between art and health. It enables researchers and practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional dimensions in the field of art and health. In this paper, we propose that ethical questioning, grounded in the principles of ethics of care, can foster a more reflexive and holistic approach to understanding the concept of well-being. We also propose that adopting ethical questioning as a methodology, which requires intentional self-reflection and recognition of positionality, can expose and challenge conventional knowledge hierarchies, resulting in more ethical research outcomes and relationships between researchers and participants. Ultimately, our hypothesis proposes that ethical questioning holds the potential to offer an actionable practice that demonstrates ethics of care.
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In this editorial we pick up again the theme of ‘connection’. Over the last year, the disconnections from our creative communities provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic have loomed large on our horizon: how do we set about reconnecting?... more
In this editorial we pick up again the theme of ‘connection’. Over the last year, the disconnections from our creative communities provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic have loomed large on our horizon: how do we set about reconnecting? Articles presented in this volume examine these disconnections and explore the ways artists, designers, curators, photographers, gamers, dancers and others draw upon expanded approaches to creativity, initiating imaginative and resourceful ways to reconnect with their audiences and communities.
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Perhaps the global pandemic (COVID-19) and the death of George Floyd have brought an immense, drastic, and unprecedented turn in human history. Many disciplines are now being intentional about asking critical and ethical questions around... more
Perhaps the global pandemic (COVID-19) and the death of George Floyd have brought an immense, drastic, and unprecedented turn in human history. Many disciplines are now being intentional about asking critical and ethical questions around race, identity, social justice representation, and systemic change. The same is true for theatre and performance. While events in 2020 stretched and burdened racialized bodies, they also provided opportunities for many racialized bodies to be recognized perhaps because of their knowledge, experiences, identities, and the power and privileges they hold or do not hold. As an African in the Canadian theatre sector and scholarship, I acted in different capacities to address systemic injustice in Canada’s theatre scene during the pandemic. For instance, I co-facilitated some sessions with colleagues from Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPoC) community for the purpose of creating space for dialogue on issues of concern to this community. In this...
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Ethics is a set of moral principles that seeks to guide researchers from harming those they research. These moral principles aim to protect humanity, establish and sustain a progressive value system that respects and promotes human... more
Ethics is a set of moral principles that seeks to guide researchers from harming those they research. These moral principles aim to protect humanity, establish and sustain a progressive value system that respects and promotes human dignity. Although how ethical consideration is envisioned can be universal, how it is enacted and performed can be relative. It is based on certain contingences that are culturally specific and peculiar. In this article, I argue that irrespective of the universality of some ethical considerations, relational interaction becomes a guiding principle that makes how ethical protocols are achieved relative. Relational interaction emphasizes the other over oneself; hence, it is not transactional. It has at its core quality interaction because it does not maximize self-interest to the detriment of the other. Thus, as varied as these ethical issues are, I argue that what stands at the heart of any appropriate ethical protocol is qualitative humanistic interaction established on values of human dignity, respect, quality welfare, empathy and justice. The idea of relational interaction fosters collaboration, understanding, communication and relationship. These universal ethical protocols are advanced in specific ways as cultures interact and people interpret value systems. I investigate how ethical nuances were explored through performances in internally displaced people camps in Nigeria. An ethical protocol is another performance that positions artists to be responsible and be held responsible for moral practices. I conclude that relational interaction poses a dialogic, responsible, accountable and construction of self in relations to alterity and cultural ethos.
Participation is central to and essentialized in theatre and interactive arts. While scholars have articulated the importance of participation in arts, participation has also been considered a foundational principle in development... more
Participation is central to and essentialized in theatre and interactive arts. While scholars have articulated the importance of participation in arts, participation has also been considered a foundational principle in development discourse, and it is largely external. Beyond the notion of participation as an external force, which I term a verb-oriented notion of participation, is the noun-oriented notion of participation, which is innate and organically induced from within an individual and a group or community (collective). In this article, I discuss a dual notion of participation and a relational interaction between these notions, which can lead to a holistic insight on participation. Using a case study that deals with managing conflict and bullying in a secondary drama classroom, an applied theatre project among refugees in Australia, I explore how this holistic insight into participation can influence how participation is framed and conceptualized in any applied theatre project. I argue that participation has been framed using a one-sided, a verb-oriented approach and I propose a holistic notion of participation as a tool to rethink, reposition, reconceptualize and re-evaluate participation in applied theatre practice.
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ABSTRACT In this article, I pose a series of questions for ethical consideration in socially engaged practices. I framed the practitioner-focused questions using what I termed, ethical questioning. Ethical questioning is the process of... more
ABSTRACT In this article, I pose a series of questions for ethical consideration in socially engaged practices. I framed the practitioner-focused questions using what I termed, ethical questioning. Ethical questioning is the process of asking questions both in the process of writing and doing ethics in socially engaged and community-based creative practice and research.
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This article examines ethical questioning as an inquiry process germane to making ethical choices in applied theatre research. Focusing on reflexivity through reflection before, in and on action, I consider ethical questioning as a... more
This article examines ethical questioning as an inquiry process germane to making ethical choices in applied theatre research. Focusing on reflexivity through reflection before, in and on action, I consider ethical questioning as a framework to amplify resistance, promote participation and strengthen decolonization in the research process. I situate ethical questioning within critical pedagogy for applied theatre practice and construct an ethical questioning framework that rests on both individualism and collective processes. I conclude by briefly examining some processes in my doctoral research and reflecting on the implications of ethical questioning on applied theatre and the call to turn from a morality debate about ethics to a political act rooted in the awareness of oneself in relation to the other.
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Perhaps the global pandemic (COVID-19) and the death of George Floyd have brought an immense, drastic, and unprecedented turn in human history. Many disciplines are now being intentional about asking critical and ethical questions around... more
Perhaps the global pandemic (COVID-19) and the death of George Floyd have brought an immense, drastic, and unprecedented turn in human history. Many disciplines are now being intentional about asking critical and ethical questions around race, identity, social justice representation, and systemic change. The same is true for theatre and performance. While events in 2020 stretched and burdened racialized bodies, they also provided opportunities for many racialized bodies to be recognized perhaps because of their knowledge, experiences, identities, and the power and privileges they hold or do not hold. As an African in the Canadian theatre sector and scholarship, I acted in different capacities to address systemic injustice in Canada’s theatre scene during the pandemic. For instance, I co-facilitated some sessions with colleagues from Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPoC) community for the purpose of creating space for dialogue on issues of concern to this community. In this...
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As an artist-scholar, I query: In what ways does border perform, (dis)connect, alter, shift dissolve and (re)imagine identity? Migration is essential to human existence in this present 'postnormal times' characterized by chaos,... more
As an artist-scholar, I query: In what ways does border perform, (dis)connect, alter, shift dissolve and (re)imagine identity? Migration is essential to human existence in this present 'postnormal times' characterized by chaos, contradictions, global displacement and neoliberal realities (Ziauddin, 2010). From voluntary to forced migration, border shifts as living and non-living things move, and it is constantly being re/negotiated. Beyond physical or territorial border navigated in migration, cultures and arts transverse boundaries because people move with cultural practices, beliefs and traditions. For instance, as migrants' cultural practices and art forms trans-border, culture becomes a mobile apparatus that constantly changes and shifts from one form to another. As an autobiographical piece, in this article, I focus on the experience of the individual [me] to explore how my migratory and mobility experiences shape my identity and in turn find expression in my artistic practice. I engaged the notion of root and identities' (Bhavnani & Phoenix, 1994) and creating my own 'imagined communities' (Anderson, 1991). I focus on my performance in an applied theatre project with refugees, immigrants, and international students in Victoria,
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Debates on entrepreneurship as a strategy for arts and culture to sustain itself, about financing arts and culture occupy centre stage of scholarship. However, despite the multifarious perspectives on cultural entrepreneurship, Africa,... more
Debates on entrepreneurship as a strategy for arts and culture to sustain itself, about financing arts and culture occupy centre stage of scholarship. However, despite the multifarious perspectives on cultural entrepreneurship, Africa, precisely Nigeria has not given much attention to this new field of study and practice. Therefore, this study examined cultural entrepreneurship approaches employed in the field of culture using Terra Kulture, a centre for national culture as a paradigm. The study employed both qualitative and deductive methods of research. For qualitative method, interview was conducted in Terra Kulture while for the deductive method, relevant literature such as journals and books among others were used to investigate the subject of discourse. Among others, the study revealed that cultural entrepreneurship is a relatively new field of research and many cultural initiatives have either refused to grow or long forgotten due to lack of funding and financial sustenance, hence the need for artistes and other culture practitioners to involve entrepreneurship practice in cultural activities. The study recommended creating awareness of artistes to cultural entrepreneurship through training; and professional development for cultural entrepreneurs to undertake idea development, innovation, business management and financial sustenance among others.
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Creativity and aesthetic are two major elements that inspire, fascinate and facilitate children and adults alike in theatre performances and practices. Since beauty, highly imaginative impressions, fascinating ideas and 'play'... more
Creativity and aesthetic are two major elements that inspire, fascinate and facilitate children and adults alike in theatre performances and practices. Since beauty, highly imaginative impressions, fascinating ideas and 'play' characterize the children theatre, children can't afford a ‘non-aesthetic’ theatre- a theatre without creativity. Creative and aesthetic elements could be either visual or auditory and begin from the dramatic text down to the performance. There are certain elements that enhance aesthetics and the creative process in the children and young audience theatre. Among these elements are music, ventriloquism, and puppetry. In the Ouagadougou Art Education Workshop experience, Theatre Emissary International used the element of ‘play’ to create an aesthetics-oriented type of theatre among the primary school students during a workshop process on ‘Art Education’ in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Therefore, this research paper is a rendering of the workshop experience examining the role of ‘play’ in the creative process of theatre for children and young audience alike.
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Equality and equity of both sexes is a major concern of the MDGs especially as it affects the female gender. On the other hand, the performing art entails physical presence and the use of the body for performance on stage and screen... more
Equality and equity of both sexes is a major concern of the MDGs especially as it affects the female gender. On the other hand, the performing art entails physical presence and the use of the body for performance on stage and screen alike. This peculiar discipline comes with its challenges for the female artiste. Also, the state of being healthy is important in fulfilling any stage obligation as an artiste. Performance
in theatre seeks among others to promote wellness on the performer through exercise and other related activities. These sets of compulsory yet rewarding activities that characterize performance in the theatre are challenging and the female artiste is faced with certain challenges that contend with her effectiveness in the theatre especially as it affects her wellness. Therefore, this empirical study examines the relationship between gender issues and performance in the theatre with the sole aim of promoting wellness among artistes. The research design was descriptive survey method while the population was made up of all artistes in Kwara State, Nigeria while a simple random sampling technique was used to select sixty-two artistes. A validated researchers’ developed questionnaire was used to collect data. For data analysis, frequency and percentage was used to describe the data while chi-square was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that performance in theatre promote health and wellness of artistes but the gender challenges rub off the health benefits of performance which hinders the continuity of female artiste in theatre; thus leading to sedentary lifestyle and threat of hypokinetic diseases. We, therefore, recommend enlightenment campaign to prevent cultural and religious biases against female artistes and in order to promote healthy living among female artistes.
in theatre seeks among others to promote wellness on the performer through exercise and other related activities. These sets of compulsory yet rewarding activities that characterize performance in the theatre are challenging and the female artiste is faced with certain challenges that contend with her effectiveness in the theatre especially as it affects her wellness. Therefore, this empirical study examines the relationship between gender issues and performance in the theatre with the sole aim of promoting wellness among artistes. The research design was descriptive survey method while the population was made up of all artistes in Kwara State, Nigeria while a simple random sampling technique was used to select sixty-two artistes. A validated researchers’ developed questionnaire was used to collect data. For data analysis, frequency and percentage was used to describe the data while chi-square was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that performance in theatre promote health and wellness of artistes but the gender challenges rub off the health benefits of performance which hinders the continuity of female artiste in theatre; thus leading to sedentary lifestyle and threat of hypokinetic diseases. We, therefore, recommend enlightenment campaign to prevent cultural and religious biases against female artistes and in order to promote healthy living among female artistes.
Art mobility is a global issue that is of great magnitude considering the economic depression that is ravaging world economy. Different initiatives on art mobility have been launched in Africa and the world at large. While these clarion... more
Art mobility is a global issue that is of great magnitude considering the economic depression that is ravaging world economy. Different initiatives on art mobility have been launched in Africa and the world at large. While these clarion calls and initiatives are still progressing, evaluating the impact of these various initiatives to know the coverage, the extent of inclusion and the impact of such on theatre practitioners and theatre companies is important. This research work centres on the impact of the art mobility initiatives on emerging theatre in Nigeria, that is, how the emerging theatre companies have benefitted from art mobility initiatives. It uses the research undertaken in Nigeria among emerging theatre art practitioners and companies to examine the effectiveness of the art mobility initiatives in Nigeria; make public the state of such initiatives in Nigeria and make public the information for success of these theatre companies. The objectives of this study is to contribute to the tank of knowledge as regards art mobility; foster the creativity of artistes, initiate and encourage connection with fellow artistes, boost more initiatives that will help emerging theatre companies in Nigeria and further reveal the impact of these initiatives in the Arabic countries in order to help Nigerian theatre artistes especially the emerging artistes who presently have little or no access to these initiatives.
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Arts-based practices can occupy a fragile position where its interventionist character becomes both a gift and a poison. For instance, some practitioners/researchers from the Global North consider the Global South as a region to curate,... more
Arts-based practices can occupy a fragile position where its interventionist
character becomes both a gift and a poison. For
instance, some practitioners/researchers from the Global North
consider the Global South as a region to curate, perform and
market interventions to solve problems. Such interventionist initiatives
have also positioned those regions as sites for/of experimentation
as seen in different international development and
humanitarian initiatives. Some interventions have been done ethically
while others have become a way to extract knowledge and
extort the people. I pose ethical questions on performing interventions
particularly in conflict/post-conflict zones in Africa not to
change what we do but to rethink how we do what we do and
perhaps at times to change why we do what we do. I reflect on
a theatre performance I directed in Nigeria that was staged in
Sudan and raise ethical questions because intervention itself is
a performance that should be staged within appropriate ethical
protocols and respectful canons.
character becomes both a gift and a poison. For
instance, some practitioners/researchers from the Global North
consider the Global South as a region to curate, perform and
market interventions to solve problems. Such interventionist initiatives
have also positioned those regions as sites for/of experimentation
as seen in different international development and
humanitarian initiatives. Some interventions have been done ethically
while others have become a way to extract knowledge and
extort the people. I pose ethical questions on performing interventions
particularly in conflict/post-conflict zones in Africa not to
change what we do but to rethink how we do what we do and
perhaps at times to change why we do what we do. I reflect on
a theatre performance I directed in Nigeria that was staged in
Sudan and raise ethical questions because intervention itself is
a performance that should be staged within appropriate ethical
protocols and respectful canons.
Research Interests:
The article critically examines the framing process in Kenya’s famous Kamiriithu theatre experience through the hermeneutic lens of communicative action with the purpose of investigating the ingredients essential for citizen empowerment... more
The article critically examines the framing process in Kenya’s famous Kamiriithu theatre experience through the hermeneutic lens of communicative action with the purpose of investigating the ingredients essential for citizen empowerment in theatre activities among communities. Sherry Arnstein’s ‘ladder of participation’, a framework
that categorizes levels of community participation in development process, outlines eight tiers of participation, with ‘citizen empowerment’ occupying the apex of the ladder. Thus, using Arnstein’s ’ladder of participation’ as a utopian framework, I ask about the extent to which theatre has moved beyond the level of advocacy. Participation is considered as both a verb and a noun; a dual reality that should inform theatre practitioners’ choice for the purpose of emancipation beyond
the creative space and devising process. In achieving the over-arching goal of citizen empowerment, the theatre practitioner needs to position the people beyond the level of tokenism into partnership and empowerment by carefully mapping out strategies for citizenship participation.
that categorizes levels of community participation in development process, outlines eight tiers of participation, with ‘citizen empowerment’ occupying the apex of the ladder. Thus, using Arnstein’s ’ladder of participation’ as a utopian framework, I ask about the extent to which theatre has moved beyond the level of advocacy. Participation is considered as both a verb and a noun; a dual reality that should inform theatre practitioners’ choice for the purpose of emancipation beyond
the creative space and devising process. In achieving the over-arching goal of citizen empowerment, the theatre practitioner needs to position the people beyond the level of tokenism into partnership and empowerment by carefully mapping out strategies for citizenship participation.
This article investigates theater techniques employed in addressing self-stigmatization in Skul Konekt project, an “anti-selfstigma” HIV/AIDS theater intervention in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The project toured secondary schools in... more
This article investigates theater techniques employed in addressing self-stigmatization in Skul Konekt project, an “anti-selfstigma” HIV/AIDS theater intervention in Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The project toured secondary schools in Nasarawa State to create awareness on the negative effect of self-stigmatization in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). This study answers the research question: What theater techniques were employed in the Skul Konekt project and how did these
strategies address the theme of self-stigmatization in PLHIV? My arguments are supported with the play text, titled, Talk to Me, and reflections from the playwright and selected actors. My reflection as a participant–observer in the project; comments from government officials, students, parents, and teachers during talkback session; and evaluation sessions from the project coordinator form part of the analysis of the impact of the theater techniques. Findings show that many intervention campaigns focus on stigmatization rather than self-stigmatization because such campaigns are designed through a top-down participatory approach without much consultation with the people. It concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for participatory strategies that can foster open communication, collaboration, and a people-led participatory approach relevant in achieving UNAIDS 90-90-90 objectives.
strategies address the theme of self-stigmatization in PLHIV? My arguments are supported with the play text, titled, Talk to Me, and reflections from the playwright and selected actors. My reflection as a participant–observer in the project; comments from government officials, students, parents, and teachers during talkback session; and evaluation sessions from the project coordinator form part of the analysis of the impact of the theater techniques. Findings show that many intervention campaigns focus on stigmatization rather than self-stigmatization because such campaigns are designed through a top-down participatory approach without much consultation with the people. It concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for participatory strategies that can foster open communication, collaboration, and a people-led participatory approach relevant in achieving UNAIDS 90-90-90 objectives.
Ethics is a set of moral principles that seeks to guide researchers from harming those they research. These moral principles aim to protect humanity, establish and sustain a progressive value system that respects and promotes human... more
Ethics is a set of moral principles that seeks to guide researchers from harming those they research. These moral principles aim to protect humanity, establish and sustain a progressive value system that respects and promotes human dignity. Although how ethical consideration is envisioned can be universal, how it is enacted and performed can be relative. It is based on certain contingences that are culturally specific and peculiar. In this article, I argue that irrespective of the universality of some ethical considerations, relational interaction becomes a guiding principle that makes how ethical protocols are achieved relative. Relational interaction emphasizes the other over oneself; hence, it is not transactional. It has at its core quality interaction
because it does not maximize self-interest to the detriment of the other. Thus, as varied as these ethical issues are, I argue that what stands at the heart of any appropriate ethical protocol is qualitative humanistic interaction established on values of human dignity, respect, quality welfare, empathy and justice. The idea of relational interaction fosters collaboration, understanding, communication and relationship. These universal ethical protocols are advanced in specific ways as cultures interact and people interpret value systems. I investigate how ethical nuances were explored through performances in internally displaced people camps in Nigeria. An ethical protocol is another performance that positions artists to be responsible and be held responsible for moral practices. I conclude that relational interaction poses a dialogic, responsible, accountable and construction of self in relations to alterity and cultural ethos.
because it does not maximize self-interest to the detriment of the other. Thus, as varied as these ethical issues are, I argue that what stands at the heart of any appropriate ethical protocol is qualitative humanistic interaction established on values of human dignity, respect, quality welfare, empathy and justice. The idea of relational interaction fosters collaboration, understanding, communication and relationship. These universal ethical protocols are advanced in specific ways as cultures interact and people interpret value systems. I investigate how ethical nuances were explored through performances in internally displaced people camps in Nigeria. An ethical protocol is another performance that positions artists to be responsible and be held responsible for moral practices. I conclude that relational interaction poses a dialogic, responsible, accountable and construction of self in relations to alterity and cultural ethos.
Participation is central to and essentialized in theatre and interactive arts. While scholars have articulated the importance of participation in arts, participation has also been considered a foundational principle in development... more
Participation is central to and essentialized in theatre and interactive arts. While scholars have articulated the importance of participation in arts, participation has also been considered a foundational principle in development discourse, and it is largely external. Beyond the notion of participation as an external force, which I term a verb-oriented notion of participation, is the noun-oriented notion of participation, which is innate and organically induced from within an individual and a group or community (collective). In this article, I discuss a dual notion of participation and a relational interaction between these notions, which
can lead to a holistic insight on participation. Using a case study that deals with managing conflict and bullying in a secondary drama classroom, an applied theatre project among refugees in Australia, I explore how this holistic insight into participation can influence how participation is framed and conceptualized in any applied theatre project. I argue that participation has been framed using a one-sided,
a verb-oriented approach and I propose a holistic notion of participation
as a tool to rethink, reposition, reconceptualize and re-evaluate participation in applied theatre practice.
can lead to a holistic insight on participation. Using a case study that deals with managing conflict and bullying in a secondary drama classroom, an applied theatre project among refugees in Australia, I explore how this holistic insight into participation can influence how participation is framed and conceptualized in any applied theatre project. I argue that participation has been framed using a one-sided,
a verb-oriented approach and I propose a holistic notion of participation
as a tool to rethink, reposition, reconceptualize and re-evaluate participation in applied theatre practice.