Performing Living Knowledge: Developing a replicable model for arts-based empowerment of marginalised urban communities in Uganda and Malawi
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of English
Abstract
This project builds on the arts and social science activities pioneered by the Uganda strand of the AHRC funded INTERSECTION project, under the Care for the Future programme. The project worked over 20 months with 60+ volunteer members of a working class community in Walukuba, Jinja, in eastern Uganda. It built an intergenerational, inter-ethnic, inter-religious, cross-gender community group of widely divergent educational attainment; that engaged in a sustained process of embodied arts-based action research and dialogic debate emerging from locally identified environmental concerns. The project led to both horizontal - community to community, and vertical - community to stake holders and policy makers - interventions and knowledge exchange events combining performance and debate. Marked gains in community cohesion, confidence, advocacy and activism were achieved (McQuaid & Plastow 2017; film 'We Are Walukuba' https://vimeo.com/171216540/e04de5b695). The group registered as a Community Based Organisation 'We Are Walukuba' in November 2015 in recognition of the transformative value participants ascribed to the project.
This proposal builds on the unforeseen achievements, beyond original research aims, of the group and our Frierean-inspired methodology (Friere, 1970) that invoked a virtuous circle of action (arts-based embodied exploration of of issues identified as concerning the community) and reflection (group discussion of critical reflections generated by activities undertaken), and appetite expressed by the community to continue to work together and build their skills to become more effective community advocates. In consultation with We Are Walukuba - henceforth WAW - it was agreed that what the group needed in order become self-sustaining in the longer term, and to complete the transformation into a group of self-confident independent advocates for their community, was targeted training by experts in a range of arts and organisational skills. The skills needed were discussed in a series of community meetings with WAW, Plastow and McQuaid in August 2016. It was agreed these would be delivered in 1-2 week blocks where workers could take time out of work and mothers could be provided with child care. Each group of 6-12 trainees would undertake to in turn pass on the skills acquired to the wider group. The impact of this first stage of the project will be evidenced by a series of community organised performative and knowledge exchange events utilising the skills acquired.
The second stage of the work is focused on scaling up the project; demonstrating how it provides a replicable model for arts-based, dialogic community empowerment, by reproducing its essential stages, learnt from the Uganda experience, over a four month period in an analogous working class community (Mtogolo village) in Zomba, Malawi. Building on the particular knowledges and contacts of our Malawian Researcher, Zindaba Chisiza, we will collaborate with a local HE partner- the Department of Performing Arts, University of Malawi, and a local arts-based NGO, YONECO. We will enable all three parties, working as equals, to mutually learn, both a new methodology for community engagement, and to share the knowledges and perspectives of all concerned about the community-selected broad topic under investigation.
The final 3 months of the project will be given over to:
* co-production of a co-authored community book sharing the experiences of the project in both sites
* co-production of a manual in the form of a multi-media website, explaining the methodology of the project
* supporting Chancellor College in reviewing and reforming its arts for development curriculum in the light of the project
* supporting the NGO in reviewing and reforming its arts for development training and approach
* dissemination events in Uganda, Malawi and the UK
* evaluation of the impact of the work in both Malawi and Uganda and on all involved in the project.
This proposal builds on the unforeseen achievements, beyond original research aims, of the group and our Frierean-inspired methodology (Friere, 1970) that invoked a virtuous circle of action (arts-based embodied exploration of of issues identified as concerning the community) and reflection (group discussion of critical reflections generated by activities undertaken), and appetite expressed by the community to continue to work together and build their skills to become more effective community advocates. In consultation with We Are Walukuba - henceforth WAW - it was agreed that what the group needed in order become self-sustaining in the longer term, and to complete the transformation into a group of self-confident independent advocates for their community, was targeted training by experts in a range of arts and organisational skills. The skills needed were discussed in a series of community meetings with WAW, Plastow and McQuaid in August 2016. It was agreed these would be delivered in 1-2 week blocks where workers could take time out of work and mothers could be provided with child care. Each group of 6-12 trainees would undertake to in turn pass on the skills acquired to the wider group. The impact of this first stage of the project will be evidenced by a series of community organised performative and knowledge exchange events utilising the skills acquired.
The second stage of the work is focused on scaling up the project; demonstrating how it provides a replicable model for arts-based, dialogic community empowerment, by reproducing its essential stages, learnt from the Uganda experience, over a four month period in an analogous working class community (Mtogolo village) in Zomba, Malawi. Building on the particular knowledges and contacts of our Malawian Researcher, Zindaba Chisiza, we will collaborate with a local HE partner- the Department of Performing Arts, University of Malawi, and a local arts-based NGO, YONECO. We will enable all three parties, working as equals, to mutually learn, both a new methodology for community engagement, and to share the knowledges and perspectives of all concerned about the community-selected broad topic under investigation.
The final 3 months of the project will be given over to:
* co-production of a co-authored community book sharing the experiences of the project in both sites
* co-production of a manual in the form of a multi-media website, explaining the methodology of the project
* supporting Chancellor College in reviewing and reforming its arts for development curriculum in the light of the project
* supporting the NGO in reviewing and reforming its arts for development training and approach
* dissemination events in Uganda, Malawi and the UK
* evaluation of the impact of the work in both Malawi and Uganda and on all involved in the project.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit.
1. The primary beneficiaries will be the community groups and project partners We Are Walukuba in Uganda and Mtogolo Village in Malawi. In the first case we have worked closely with WAW for 20 months with the INTERSECTION project and designed this project in close collaboration with them in meetings held in Uganda in August 2016. Mtogolo village is an area of the town of Zomba, Malawi. They have discussed involvement with project researcher, Chisiza, and project supporter YONECO, and agreed on project objectives and timing.
2. The wider communities of Walukuba and Mtogolo. We already have good relations and have extensively engaged the wider Walukuba community (17,000 people) through a series of performances, public debates, film showings and community waste collection actions, and have the wide support of local councillors and community leaders. In Mtogolo (12,000) people our partners have close connections and community leaders are supporters of the work.
3. Stakeholders in Jinja and Zomba. These include council members, church leaders, educationalists and local NGOs and CBOs. In Jinja we already have close links, and many have attended previous performance and knowledge exchange events. In Zomba we have good links via Chisiza, Chancellor College and YONECO.
4. Faculty of Arts staff at Chancellor College, University of Malawi, who are project partners.
5. Youth Net and Counselling, YONECO, who are project supporters.
6. NGOs, INGOs and donors of community-arts based development programmes and community-based participatory research, in Malawi, Uganda and internationally: e.g. BOND (UK network for NGOs in international development), The Communication Initiative Network, ActionAid, Oxfam, UNESCO.
7. Academics concerned with community arts and community-based participatory research: e.g academics working in human development, applied arts, human geography, applied anthropology.
How impact will be achieved.
Training: Members of both community groups will be offered high level, intensive training in key skills identified by them as essential to effective arts-based advocacy: support skills (community-based research, community management, planning, advocacy) and arts skills (theatre, film, photography, dance and music).
Performative events: In each community members will work with the project team to create performance and knowledge exchange events on the agreed themes using skills learnt. There will be an event for horizontal - community to community, and vertical - community to stakeholder - engagement in each context. It is expected that these performances will then be owned by the groups and used beyond the project framework.
Sustained communities: The project and training will be focused on giving communities the skills, confidence and cohesion they need to be long term self-sustaining arts-based community advocates.
Jinja and Zomba stakeholders will be invited to witness performative events, and fully participate in knowledge exchange events, building better understanding of community needs, and assisting them in effective delivery of community services.
Arts faculty at Chancellor College and YONECO staff will learn new particpatory approaches to community empowerment and will be assisted in developing new curricula and training packages reflecting cutting edge learning to replace what all concerned agree are outdated and too long unrevised training programmes.
NGOs, INGOs and academics will:-
a) have free access to the mutli-media online manual of techniques and methodologies, the community created book of the project experience, and the short films on project impact which we will promote through forums such as the Communication Initiative Network and BOND
b) be invited to attend and engage with performance and knowledge exchange events
c) be accessed via relevant conferences and journal publications
d) be offered presentations at relevant dissemination events and conferences.
1. The primary beneficiaries will be the community groups and project partners We Are Walukuba in Uganda and Mtogolo Village in Malawi. In the first case we have worked closely with WAW for 20 months with the INTERSECTION project and designed this project in close collaboration with them in meetings held in Uganda in August 2016. Mtogolo village is an area of the town of Zomba, Malawi. They have discussed involvement with project researcher, Chisiza, and project supporter YONECO, and agreed on project objectives and timing.
2. The wider communities of Walukuba and Mtogolo. We already have good relations and have extensively engaged the wider Walukuba community (17,000 people) through a series of performances, public debates, film showings and community waste collection actions, and have the wide support of local councillors and community leaders. In Mtogolo (12,000) people our partners have close connections and community leaders are supporters of the work.
3. Stakeholders in Jinja and Zomba. These include council members, church leaders, educationalists and local NGOs and CBOs. In Jinja we already have close links, and many have attended previous performance and knowledge exchange events. In Zomba we have good links via Chisiza, Chancellor College and YONECO.
4. Faculty of Arts staff at Chancellor College, University of Malawi, who are project partners.
5. Youth Net and Counselling, YONECO, who are project supporters.
6. NGOs, INGOs and donors of community-arts based development programmes and community-based participatory research, in Malawi, Uganda and internationally: e.g. BOND (UK network for NGOs in international development), The Communication Initiative Network, ActionAid, Oxfam, UNESCO.
7. Academics concerned with community arts and community-based participatory research: e.g academics working in human development, applied arts, human geography, applied anthropology.
How impact will be achieved.
Training: Members of both community groups will be offered high level, intensive training in key skills identified by them as essential to effective arts-based advocacy: support skills (community-based research, community management, planning, advocacy) and arts skills (theatre, film, photography, dance and music).
Performative events: In each community members will work with the project team to create performance and knowledge exchange events on the agreed themes using skills learnt. There will be an event for horizontal - community to community, and vertical - community to stakeholder - engagement in each context. It is expected that these performances will then be owned by the groups and used beyond the project framework.
Sustained communities: The project and training will be focused on giving communities the skills, confidence and cohesion they need to be long term self-sustaining arts-based community advocates.
Jinja and Zomba stakeholders will be invited to witness performative events, and fully participate in knowledge exchange events, building better understanding of community needs, and assisting them in effective delivery of community services.
Arts faculty at Chancellor College and YONECO staff will learn new particpatory approaches to community empowerment and will be assisted in developing new curricula and training packages reflecting cutting edge learning to replace what all concerned agree are outdated and too long unrevised training programmes.
NGOs, INGOs and academics will:-
a) have free access to the mutli-media online manual of techniques and methodologies, the community created book of the project experience, and the short films on project impact which we will promote through forums such as the Communication Initiative Network and BOND
b) be invited to attend and engage with performance and knowledge exchange events
c) be accessed via relevant conferences and journal publications
d) be offered presentations at relevant dissemination events and conferences.
Organisations
- University of Leeds (Lead Research Organisation)
- Makerere University (Collaboration)
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (Collaboration)
- Jinja Municipal Council (Collaboration)
- Gravel & Sugar Productions Ltd (Collaboration)
- Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (Collaboration)
- Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI (Collaboration)
- Malemia (Mtogolo) Community Based Org (Project Partner)
- University of Malawi (Project Partner)
- We Are Walukuba (Project Partner)
- Youth Net and Counselling (Project Partner)
| Title | Basoga dance and drumming programme |
| Description | As part of the training for We Are Walukuba (WAW) an expert in local (Basoga) dance and drumming forms gave a two week workshop on these forms which had been 'lost' by an urbanised community. Elements of these are now popularly shown preceding performances to warm up audiences. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | WAW was delighted to receive this training and see it as an element of reclaiming cultural voice. |
| Title | Forum theatre play made up of three linked scenes looking at aspects of domestic violence and abuse of women in Jinja society in Uganda |
| Description | This work was created by We Are Walukuba, a community arts based organisation in the slum of Walukuba in the town of Jinja in eastern Uganda. It was created as part of a training exercise with Sanjoy and Sima Ganguly of the Indian Theatre of the Oppressed movement, Jana Sanskriti. Scenes from the play have now had 8 community performances, 7 in open-air free shows in various parts of Walukuba and one taken to the village of Budondo, some 80 kilometres away where there is as community group also using Forum Theatre for advocacy. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | The production is part of a strategy promoting awareness of key community issues as decided by We Are Walukuba. Each show is interactive and invites interventions promoting awareness of relevant issues. |
| Title | Short documentary film about 'boda boda' taxi drivers. |
| Description | This short documentary was made as part of film training by WAW members. it shows the life of a motor scooter 'boda boda' taxi driver in Walukuba. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This film was made to facilitate training in film making/ |
| Title | Short documentary film about briquette making |
| Description | As part of the film training WAW members made a short film about their income generation scheme, making fuel bars (briquettes) with waste organic material. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This film was to facilitate film training for WAW. |
| Title | Short film on domestic violence |
| Description | As part of film training the Domasi community produced a short film on domestic violence. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This film has been shown in Domasi and at Chancellor College. |
| Title | Short film, adapted from play on domestic violence. |
| Description | As part of the film training for We Are Walukuba trainees produced a 7 minute film of one of the scenes in the domestic violence drama. The film shows a lazy husband stealing the wages of his wife to go drinking. when she finds this money, which had been meant for her childrens' school fees, has gone, she snaps and goes to the bar, threatening her husband with a knife before collapsing in tears. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This film training film has been shown in Walukuba and copies distributed to members to share. |
| Title | Short play about deforestation, 'The Singing Forest'. |
| Description | This play was devised by me with the Domasi community as part of arts-based training in using indigenous stories as the basis for play-making. It takes the story of a beautiful princess who rejects many suitors and adapts it to discuss many strategies for dealing with problem of deforestation. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This play has been shown in Domasi and at Chancellor College to promote debate about urgent problems of deforestation. |
| Title | three Forum plays in Malawi |
| Description | These plays were made as part of training in theatre skills, focusing on forum theatre in work led by Ali Campbell with Zindaba Chisiza. The Domasi community chose the topics for the plays which were i) domestic violence, ii) issues of stigma relating to disability iii) discussion of issues around gender and education. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | This plays have been shown twice in Domasi and once at Chancellor College, University of Malawi. In each case the play invites interventions from the audience to discuss attitudes to disability, gender and education. |
| Description | The key findings of this project are that if we want community organisations to be able to maintain activity and meaningful output they need considerably more support and inputs than has often been thought and this support probably needs to be maintained over at least the medium term. key areas for support include help with group management and organisation. Short term inputs are unlikely to be sustained without on-going assistance. |
| Exploitation Route | organisations need to consider carefully inputs to community groups and a longer term strategy of support if inputs are to be of continuing value. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Description | Throughout this follow-on funding programme we have substantially upscaled and embedded the impact delivered as part of INTERSECTION's work in Uganda, and successfully shortened and replicated this approach in a new geographical site in Malawi. In both contexts, skills training has translated directly into local capacity to deliver high-quality arts-based outputs which have been widely disseminated in the wider communities of Walukuba and Domasi. Public engagement activities developed out of community-based research and expressed through dialogic performance have provided new opportunities for these two community organisations to engage with policymakers, local authorities and their communities on key local development issues including domestic violence in Uganda and deforestation in Malawi. In Uganda we have been able to build a 'virtuous circle' of activity whereby the skills acquired during the follow-on funding training have been able to be applied to further research collaborations in relation to gender equity and sexual health in schools (AHRC funded), promotion of contraceptive knowledge (AHRC/MRC funded), and development of youth film-making in schools (HEFCE funded). These activities have also upskilled members of We Are Walukuba and attracted income which has in turn been used for community income generation projects - making eco-fuel briquettes and raising poultry. The primary beneficiaries of this project were the community groups and project partners 'We are Walukuba' (WAW) in Jinja, Uganda and Domasi Village in Malawi. WAW have been working with the project team since February 2015, whereas Domasi were a new community group identified by the research team in collaboration with the NGO YONECO. Beginning in Uganda, WAW - a community arts for development organisation - received professional-level training in drumming and dance (for which they received a set of traditional drums), community-based research, advocacy, planning and management, forum theatre, and participatory film and editing (for which they received necessary equipment) to develop their capabilities to effect sustainable social change and develop and share knowledge among their communities. These training workshops were intensive yet accessible and offered to a wide spectrum of members to ensure that skills knowledge was shared equitably between members. In Malawi, Domasi received professional-level training in community-based research and advocacy, forum theatre, and participatory film and editing (for which they received necessary equipment). Group members did not benefit only from receiving skills they can employ in their development and advocacy activities, but also through receiving a source of income-generating activities, which has already begun to sustain both the wider group's development activities and themselves beyond the project timeline. As a result of project activities both community groups have demonstrably increased capacity to design, carry out and evaluate effective arts-based public engagement activities (see outputs section). These aims to voice and raise legitimate community concerns to local stakeholders, or to challenge destructive or discriminatory socio-cultural practices in their communities, for example deforestation, poor educational outcomes for girls, child marriage and domestic violence. In both contexts the arts-based outputs have succeeded in engaging stakeholders to understand community priorities and concerns, and providing previously unavailable spaces for communities and stakeholders to engage directly. In Uganda, our sustained collaboration between academics, professional arts makers and the community group, generated a huge increase in quality of arts output, which has had a marked impact on the community organisation's ability to engage both stakeholders and local communities. Audiences have reacted strongly to performance-based interventions and evaluation activities have charted changes in attitudes and practices amongst those engaging with WAW's artistic outputs. We have therefore observed an increased sphere of influence from WAW's work. In Malawi, the benefits extended to increased community cohesion. Traditionally men and women, and old and young generations, are separated, and even within the target organisation divisions between gender and generation were observed by all members. Through employing our model of community empowerment, and using arts and skills training, we observed increased cohesion across social divisions, which increasingly extended beyond the project activities into the wider community surrounding the organisation's members. Women and young people, who occupy marginalised positions in the local social hierarchy reported increased confidence and ability to advocate for themselves and to share their ideas and opinions with traditional leaders. In Malawi we have strengthened the capacity of our local partner, YONECO, a youth-based organisation, to employ this model as a means for arts-based dialogic community empowerment. YONECO work extensively in (and beyond) Zomba district, and have already begun using our methodology in their ongoing work to more effectively design and deliver their arts-based development activities to engage more deeply and productively with their target beneficiaries. Our Co-I in Malawi - Dr. Chisiza who lectures at Chancellor College in applied theatre - has gained practical experience and insight into our methodology, which is being translated into new curricula and activities for undergraduate and postgraduate students. We are in the process of extending our community of practice beyond the geographic case-studies through the construction of a website which will act as an open-access online multi-media manual, bringing together film, photography and written how-to guides to conducting community arts for empowerment. This toolkit has been designed to be accessible to small community-based organisations in diverse contexts. The website design work is being led by We are Walukuba members and content has been co-produced by community group members and the project team. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |
| Description | Waste management |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The effect of the performances on waste management, coupled with representations to relevant officials in Jinja Municipal Council has resulted in improved regularity of waste collection and the contributed to the implementation of a Clean Up Jinja campaign by the council in which the community group, We Are Walukuba, who made the performance were invited regular contributors. |
| Description | AHRC GCRF Global Public Health |
| Amount | £199,967 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2017 |
| End | 11/2019 |
| Description | British Academy Knowledge Frontiers |
| Amount | £49,999 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The British Academy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 01/2019 |
| Description | HEFCE Allocation for Global Challenge Research |
| Amount | £76,391 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 95557031 |
| Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 07/2018 |
| Title | Holistic arts based research tools |
| Description | This research tool combines anthropological ethnographic interviews alongside community research, and simultaneously uses a range of arts-based methodologies; theatre, poetry, art, song, dance and film to explore in a multi-faceted community attitudes to a given concern, or to arrive at a concern of particular interest to a community. This qualitative methodology allows for a rich diversity in exploring aspects of a problem, drawing out its complexities and inter-relationships with other relevant factors. It also allows for a simultaneous concern with both the individual and the wider social unit. It offers no neat solutions but access to both superficial and more deeply hidden factors affected attitudes and behaviours in relation to any given topic of interest. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This tool is allowing our research team and the communities to we work with to engage with social issues from a wide range of perspectives. Notably we find this approach leads to an increase in empathy - notable in recent work on gendered identities and domestic violence. It also engages both intellect and emotion, and this can make a powerful impact on audiences; as in Jinja where the town council is now being notably supportive of our work helping vulnerable young women to the extent of offering land for a shelter and a council safeguarding post to be created. |
| Description | Centre for Elimination of Domestic Violence (CEDOVIP) Uganda |
| Organisation | Center for Domestic Violence Prevention |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We engaged with CEDOVIP in relation to our work on domestic violence with WAW. We exchanged information on our arts practice. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CEDOVIP gave training to WAW members on domestic violence, rights and protections. |
| Impact | This training enabled several women to seek help in asserting their rights against abusive husbands and partners and assisted in our research for our drama. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Gravel & Sugar Productions |
| Organisation | Gravel & Sugar Productions Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Our team facilitated Gravel & Sugar in linking with other participatory film makers to build expertise. This company has now been renamed Marabou Productions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Gravel & Sugar trained teams of 6 novice community film makers in both Malawi and Uganda with week long training programmes. They then also helped train teachers and to work with We Are Walukuba on short fact and fiction films. They also helped the young people make short films in the arts camp in Uganda. |
| Impact | The films made have been listed elsewhere. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Jana Sanskriti training in Theatre of the Oppressed |
| Organisation | Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We enabled Jana Sanskriti to experience the lives of working class arts communities in Africa. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Jana Sanskriti shared the experience of working class communities in India and carried out training in Forum Theatre. |
| Impact | The partnership resulted in a play about domestic violence, part of which was also made into a film. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Jinja Municipal Council |
| Organisation | Jinja Municipal Council |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have worked with the Department of Environment, the Department of Community Development, the education Department and the Town Clerk's office making them aware of our findings about social concerns in Walukuba and inviting them to relevant events. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Council has organised performances for members, supported facilitating our work and discussed giving us land and an officer to support our work with abused and vulnerable young women. |
| Impact | Outputs include council attendance at WAW performances, support for waste, education and health initiatives, and offers of on-going support. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Makerere University |
| Organisation | Makerere University |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We shared with colleagues at Makerere information on our project and methodology for empowering a slum community. We taught a team of facilitators techniques for working with young people. The members of We Are Walukuba went to the Music, Dance and Drama Deprtment at Makerere to present their work as part of the students' learning about Theatre for Development. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Staff from Makerere taught WAW members Basoga dance and drumming. Staff from Makerere and ex-students formed the facilitation team for the schools workshops. For the arts camp staff from Makerere came and ran workshops on art and performance poetry. |
| Impact | WAW members have gained local dance and drumming skills. Makerere students and staff have had access to learning about our approach to making community arts. Makerere staff led workshops in theatre, art and graphic art for our schools arts camp. WAW members took two productions to Makerere to share with students and teach them about community arts work. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Schools project support |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | This project allowed We Are Walukuba to support the schools project by sharing performances of domestic violence dramas to raise awareness in young people, and in the concluding summer camp in Uganda enabled We Are Walukuba to support film making activity and organisation of the arts camp. |
| Collaborator Contribution | In developing training for local facilitators members of We Are Walukuba trialled the arts methodologies and learning on reproductive and sexual health and learned new theatre-making skills, film skills and valuable information on gender equity and reproductive health. |
| Impact | The making of two short films from the schools summer camp on mentsruation and children's rights and responsbilities being used in dissemination work. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Schools' film project |
| Organisation | University of Nairobi |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This collaboration developed skills for making films with young people in Kenya and Uganda. I trained people in developing fiction films and We Are Walukuba trained teachers and then supported 3 film clubs in schools in the local area. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners helped develop the film skills of the We Are Walukuba film unit. |
| Impact | Short training films were developed by teachers. 2 schools are submitting films to the Kenyan National Schools' Film Festival |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Creation of short films |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This activity came out of film training undertaken by the Domasi community group. The group made three short films about problems of water conservation, gender relations and petty trade. The films were shown to the village and to students at Chancellor College, University of Malawi. The community is now using its film skills and equipment to make films for local audiences and organisations as an income generation activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Film training workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | 12 members of We Are Walukuba were trained in film making skills and created short films which were shown to invited community audiences. As a result of this training and donation of equipment the community organisation set up a subsidiary group, the Jinja Film Unit. This Unit is now using the equipment for both community benefit and income generation. The equipment has been used and Unit members involved in making films for local NGOs and international research projects. They have also been involved in training teachers in film making for children and supporting the set up and running of film clubs in 3 schools in the Walukuba slum area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
| Description | Public performances |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This activity was the creation of a play 'The Humming Bird's Tale' that utilised folktales to discuss the issue of waste management and responsibility with the community group We Are Walukuba in accordance with their priorities. The play has been performed subsequently in numerous localities around Jinja and at Makerere University in Kampala. it is always followed by community discussion of the issue, and when performed locally accompanied by a community 'clean-up'. As a result the local council has increased rubbish collection in the slum area of Walukuba where the group is located and has provided resources to help with the community 'clean up' aspect of the work. The group was also invited to take part in town-wide Clean Up Jinja activities. Members have reported better practice in personal recycling, composting and disposal of waste. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
| Description | Public performances |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public performances for the village community, including the chief and similar local dignitaries were given of two plays on two occasions; one concerning the local problem of deforestation and one concerning issues of attitudes to disability; both selected as concerns by the Domasi village participants in the workshops. These performances were followed by public debate on these issues. Subsequently a local NGO providing trees and advice on tree planting was approached and has been advising the community which has been planting trees on the mountain above the village. The village has also been in conversation with a further NGO regarding recycling waste vegetation into biofuel briquettes for cooking. The plays were also taken to Chancellor College and performed to an invited audience of students, again followed by public discussions of issues. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
| Description | Public performances |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The community organisation We Are Walukuba was trained in Forum Theatre techniques and made three short related plays about the issue they identified as being of local concern; gender relations and domestic violence. The plays they made have been subsequently performed for free in 6 neighbourhoods of Jinja municipality, at Masese Secondary School, in neighbouring villages and at Makerere University in the capital Kampala. Each performance is accompanied by a community engagement participatory event where audience members not only give their opinions about the problems depicted but come on stage to try out how they might better resolve conflicts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
| Description | Traditional dance workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | members of We Are Walukuba community organisation were given training in traditional local dance and drumming. This activity drew in strong participation from less educated members and built their self-confidence and skills. The dance and drumming are now commonly used in association with theatre performances to 'warm up' and engage audiences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |