| Experimenting with
Experimental Theatre @ British Council
By Samuel Olatunji
Sunday,
March 30, 2008
|
•Experimental
Theatre 2
Photo: Sun News Publishing
|
|
As part of continued efforts to enrich theatre practice in
Nigeria, the British Council from March 11 through 13, 2008
held a workshop on Experimental Theatre techniques for 50
Theatre practitioners and students around the country. The
workshop was held at the British Council premises in Ikoyi,
Lagos.
The Project Manager (Connected Africa Arts) of the British
Council, Ojoma Ochai, “we decided to, as part of our
efforts to boost theatre practice in Nigeria, hold this workshop,
as experimental theatre has been found to be a useful tool
for initiating social change. It is used to provoke audiences
to change their opinions on various issues.
It is especially relevant in Nigeria today as the increasing
stability of democracy means more and more, people will begin
to push for greater accountability in government. Theatre
in Nigeria can become a formidable voice in this campaign
using experimental theatre.”
The workshop was facilitated by Anthony Hampton and Neil Bennun,
both from an experimental theatre group, Rotozaza, based in
the UK.
The workshop was rounded off by an afternoon of experimental
theatre, which saw the participants at the workshop presenting
12 experimental theatre pieces developed during the workshop
to an audience of their peers, seasoned theatre practitioners
and the media.
An experimental theatre piece, Etiquette developed by Rotozaza,
will be ran and opened to the public in the British Council,
20, Thomson Avenue, Ikoyi until March 22 from 10.00a.m –
4p.m from Monday – Thursday and in Abuja and Kano from
March 25 to 29, and March 31 – April 4 respectively.
The British Council has other projects geared towards theatre
development. They include the New Writing in Drama project
in conjunction with the Royal Court Theatre.
|
