Building sustainable improvements in gender equality for youth through creative engagement in Uganda
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of English
Abstract
This project will build on previous research conducted by Plastow in Uganda (see related projects) that has demonstrated not only severe issues related to gender inequalities including domestic violence; abandonment of children; mockery of menstruating girls; coercive sexual behaviours; but also that when engaged in programmes using arts-based, dialogic methodologies both males and females have been open to changing their views and their behaviours. This Follow-On project has been developed specifically to respond to repeated requests by young people, teachers and public health professionals and community members, that this work be built on and extended to further promote gender equality and to challenge many of the damaging essentialist myths about expected male and female behaviours and misinformation in relation to sexual and reproductive health (SRH).
Previous work centred on schools in the slum district of the city of Jinja called Walukuba/Masese using arts-based workshops with young people aged 13-16 to discuss issues of SRH. It was found that not only did this work have a notable impact - see Case for Support - but that discussions arising about gender relations led to significant changes in individuals, families and school communities that were perceived to be significantly promoting good, respectful gender relations. This project will privilege the promotion of equitable gender relations, while continuing to promote understanding of SRH issues such as menstruation, sexual relationships and personal hygiene which all form part of the larger issue, but will extend the work to enable youth across Jinja to take part and sustainably benefit over the long term.
Our dialogic, arts-based practice, including the use of theatre, film, dance, poetry and art was found to be highly engaging (see Case for Support), encouraging creativity, critical thinking and enjoyment of an often challenging process of opening up to new thinking. We will therefore extend this methodology. Working in 36 schools across the city; first through performance/workshops engaging young people in considering gender stereotypes, social norms and ideals they might aspire to, we will go on to invite 200 young people from across the city to take part in 2 (100 people each) 10-day multi-arts workshops which will combine gender awareness engagement with training in and creation of artworks using theatre, film, traditional and breakdance, poetry, pop music and fine art to stimulate a creative city-wide youth arts involvement. A third workshop will take 50 young people from each of the preceding workshops and work in the same forms to enable them to move from becoming trainees to realisers of their own art works, and this will culminate in a city-wide Jinja Youth Arts Festival where young people are invited to come together to profile their creativity on the theme of gender equality. These works will have a lasting presence in various ways: murals on public walls; pop songs will be recorded and played on local radio; film, theatre, dance and poetry will be exhibited and also released on social media.
In support of youth-centred activity we will also, again as a result of many requests, provide 2-day training workshops for teachers and public health workers concerned with adolescent health, to assist them in supporting gender equality and openness in communication and support for the youth of the city. All work has been designed in response to community requests and will be based on further research workshops so that we can be sure we responding most usefully to specific local needs. The design of the artistic work has been carefully planned by a committed team of Ugandan and international artists who have all worked on related projects in recent years with Plastow and are leaders in their fields, including notably dance and pop music role models who have established professional creative careers on the back of working with Plastow in previous projects.
Previous work centred on schools in the slum district of the city of Jinja called Walukuba/Masese using arts-based workshops with young people aged 13-16 to discuss issues of SRH. It was found that not only did this work have a notable impact - see Case for Support - but that discussions arising about gender relations led to significant changes in individuals, families and school communities that were perceived to be significantly promoting good, respectful gender relations. This project will privilege the promotion of equitable gender relations, while continuing to promote understanding of SRH issues such as menstruation, sexual relationships and personal hygiene which all form part of the larger issue, but will extend the work to enable youth across Jinja to take part and sustainably benefit over the long term.
Our dialogic, arts-based practice, including the use of theatre, film, dance, poetry and art was found to be highly engaging (see Case for Support), encouraging creativity, critical thinking and enjoyment of an often challenging process of opening up to new thinking. We will therefore extend this methodology. Working in 36 schools across the city; first through performance/workshops engaging young people in considering gender stereotypes, social norms and ideals they might aspire to, we will go on to invite 200 young people from across the city to take part in 2 (100 people each) 10-day multi-arts workshops which will combine gender awareness engagement with training in and creation of artworks using theatre, film, traditional and breakdance, poetry, pop music and fine art to stimulate a creative city-wide youth arts involvement. A third workshop will take 50 young people from each of the preceding workshops and work in the same forms to enable them to move from becoming trainees to realisers of their own art works, and this will culminate in a city-wide Jinja Youth Arts Festival where young people are invited to come together to profile their creativity on the theme of gender equality. These works will have a lasting presence in various ways: murals on public walls; pop songs will be recorded and played on local radio; film, theatre, dance and poetry will be exhibited and also released on social media.
In support of youth-centred activity we will also, again as a result of many requests, provide 2-day training workshops for teachers and public health workers concerned with adolescent health, to assist them in supporting gender equality and openness in communication and support for the youth of the city. All work has been designed in response to community requests and will be based on further research workshops so that we can be sure we responding most usefully to specific local needs. The design of the artistic work has been carefully planned by a committed team of Ugandan and international artists who have all worked on related projects in recent years with Plastow and are leaders in their fields, including notably dance and pop music role models who have established professional creative careers on the back of working with Plastow in previous projects.
| Title | Breakdance |
| Description | Breakdance was a very popular option with young people and for each of the 3 Multi-Arts Workshops 2 breakdances were created with facilitation from local group Ensibuko Arts. In each case he young people chose the themes for the dances which included gender equality, teachers failing to listen to youth and the need to do away with corporal punishment. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Major results were to do with confidence and self-expression. it was particularly important that a number of girls asserted themselves in this form which is generally locally seen as male oriented. |
| Title | Plays by youth |
| Description | For each of the 3 Multi Arts Workshops young people who had chosen to focus on theatre made short plays with facilitator support. In camps 1 & 2 one play was made around gender issues, while for the third camp 3 small groups each made a piece; the focus chosen by the young people here was on how adults; particularly parents and teachers, fail to listen to youth voices. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The young people involved reported vastly increased self-confidence and a desire to continue to develop theatrical skills. |
| Title | Poetry in Multi-Arts workshops |
| Description | In 3 multi-arts workshops young people had the opportunity to work with Ugandan poets to develop their own poems. The work resulted in 2 public performances of selected student written poetry and a pamphlet, 'Songs of Freedom' with 13 poems. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The impact was on the young participants who were tutored by leading nation poet, Susan Kiguli. |
| Title | Pop music |
| Description | In each of our three Multi-Arts Workshops a group chose to focus on pop music composition and performance working with local leading pop musician Derick Isabirye. The young people chose the themes for their songs and wrote 2 for each workshop. These looked at issues such as the need for confidence and self-belief, the need for gender equality and sex education, and the need for adults to listen to youth. All the songs were performed at events at the close of each workshop but have also been recorded and we are looking for funding to play them on local radio. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The young people learned how to write lyrics for pop songs, and in the final workshop this extended to musical composition. They learned about recording, singing and performance. |
| Title | Public murals |
| Description | For each of the 3 Multi-Art Workshops an art group developed ideas and designs for public murals and then painted these at prime locations across the city. The murals are each around 10 meters by 2 meters and the focus was chosen by the young people. 1 mural looks at 'Beating Kills Confidence'; 1 is focused on the need for young people to support each other and the last is a nature themed exploration of design based on a visit to a local fragment of remaining tropical forest. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The murals are all in highly public places by main roads and are vastly appreciated by thousands who pass by daily. A major impact has been that art is very little taught in Ugandan schools and is entirely literal and figurative; bringing leading art and design tutors from Uganda and UK to support young people enabled their work to develop a whole range of new skills and perspectives. Two young artists have secured sponsorship to pursue their studies and a local business had commissioned a group of artists to produce a mural for their premises. There was previously very little public art in Jinja so these art works are a significant long-term cultural contribution to the city. |
| Title | The Tragedy of Dembe Village |
| Description | This was a dance theatre production and associated workshop that was taken into 36 government schools (10 secondary and 26 primary) discussing gener equality, empathy and community cohesion. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The workshop was a catalyst for engaging young people in our following Multi-Arts Workshops. |
| Title | Traditional/cultural dance |
| Description | For each of the 3 Multi-Arts Workshops a group of young people chose to focus on indigenous Soga dance with an expert local tutor. In each workshop 2 dances were made; one the major local dance form and the second a piece using cultural dance form to explore a social issue of the choosing of the participants. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The traditional dance group was very strong and overwhelmingly popular with audiences; many of whom came on stage and presented individuals with small monetary gifts (as is common practice) to recognise their skills. I know of at least 2 young people who have as a result of this training formed groups in their local areas and are getting paid to provide entertainments for local festivities. We are also discussing with a major secondary school which is interested in offering scholarships to certain number of leading dancers. This is under negotiation. |
| Title | Video production |
| Description | In each of the three multi-arts workshops a group of young people chose to focus on learning video making skills. In workshop one a short fiction and a short documentary were made, workshop 2 had a documentary, while the 3 iteration resulted in 2 documentaries. Themes chosen by young people for these included; teenage pregnancy, pressure to have sex, a documentary about the arts camps and 2 documentaries about the fragile tropical environment of Mabira Forest. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The films were shown at all the performance events. The final maira Forest film is being entered for the 2023 Uganda Film Festival. |
| Description | There is relatively little funding available through UKRI which supports creative work as a primary aim and output. This seems to be because such work is not seen as being of itself research or impactful. Unusually this award did allow more scope for creative work, and the impact was tremendous. Young people created work -spurred on by stimulus workshops - that engaged with gender-based, environmental, identity and community concerns. The work, in a place where creative learning has no place in the school curriculum, unlocked both a huge range of untapped talent and processes of learning and reflection previously completely unconsidered. Young people made work in 7 different artistic forms, for the first time looking beyond the literal, and engaging with questions about their response to the natural environment, to who they are in society, to their aspirations for creative careers and to their desire to be listened to and engaged with. We are currently analysing evaluation data but the enormously positive, creative response to our project speaks volumes for the need for much more focus on the creative as valuable in its own right. |
| Exploitation Route | We need both research and investment in creative engagement with young people; as it is not only a valuable under-explored career path; but a huge source of building self-worth, creative, critical thinking and positivity and joy. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education |
| Description | The impacts from our work are primarily social. In Uganda arts work is commonly seen, at all levels of society, as essentially a waste of time as only potentially money-making , and especially high status, activities are seen as being of worth. Where arts activity does take place in schools it tends to be formulaic and unimaginative. Our activity on this project, from the performance/workshops across 36 schools to the 2 feeder 10-day 100 pupil workshops and then the follow-on workshop for the best of these, revealed hidden talent and potential across the educational board, and a great hunger for creative learning and self-expression. Each Multi-Arts workshop culminated in a public performance aimed at families and teachers and there was strong attendance at these averaging 500 people per event. Many parents had their ideas about creative engagement transformed in a positive direction. The work also enabled many young people to understand their bodies and a range of SRH and equality issues which they greatly valued. They also began to think more widely about environment, individual worth and potential and creative lives. The Ugandan facilitation team also reported a range of benefits. These included more child-centred teaching skills; seeking to develop a specialism in community-based art; new knowledge of a range of engagement activities; improved communication skills; personal growth and extended critical thinking; a greatly improved appreciation for and to desire to work across artistic disciplines. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Communication and Creativity: An Arts-Based Study Focusing on Marginalised East African Communities in Kenya, Uganda and the United Kingdom |
| Amount | £997,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/Y00163X/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2023 |
| End | 11/2026 |
| Title | Deepening creative engagement and critical thinking |
| Description | In the overwhelming majority of East African educational systems - and arguably in most education systems worldwide - learning is narrowly focused on exam passing; on rote learning of 'right' answers and on valuing scientific over creative methodologies. Even where arts and humanities are funded, as by the AHRC, there is a reluctance to value non-instrumental activity. This award unusually gave scope for specifically creative engagement to be valued. it allowed exploration of 2 aspects of work which were innovative. 1. Critical Thinking workshop provocations. Building in responsive practice mode from learning from the first 2 Multi-Arts Workshops which had focused on gender equality issues, in our third workshop which brought together the young people who had excelled in the previous meetings, I widened the range of 'provocations', 4 morning sessions before the skills-based sessions. These looked at: why so many participants tended to copy work praised by others; why men are seen as more important than women; who am I, and a silent nature walk through Mabira Forest. Interestingly it was the less instrumental workshops that had the most profound effects. Almost none of the young people had ever been to Mabira Forest, a fragment of tropical forest under threat only some 23 miles from the city. Many subsequently chose to make work reacting to their experience, spoke movingly about how deeply they had experienced the walk and of their new concern for the forest environment. The issue of copying also led to many debates and much reflection on why it was so hard in a conservative conformist society to give oneself permission to think independently. While the Who Am I session even impacted on local facilitators who said they had never thought of this before. Many subsequently spoke of how valuable they found it to for the first time to look at the world through this perspective as opposed to just trying to fit in with societal expectations. Such interventions can only be made on the basis of good prior knowledge, but speak to a great need to move beyond the instrumental if we are interested in supporting independent-minded, creative individuals. 2. In the final camp we explored how being part of a second-stage intensive process meaningfully empowered young people to become independent creatives. The level of work produced here was exponentially of a higher level than anything made in the first two camps, and for some at least of the young people, enabled them to become much more independently creative. The work demonstrated the need for on-going creative programmes if young people are to be enabled to move beyond being taught into becoming creative in their own right. Many participants spoke of now wishing to pursue creative careers - which are commonly seen as not serious and not realistic - and sought advice on how to pursue their new aims. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The impact was all to do with new thinking and new confidence in creativity. We are currently analysing interview and questionnaire material to speak about this in more detail. |
| Description | Design collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | School of Design |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We built on Dr Stones' knowledge of design work in the global south and supported her creative work in the country, besides covering her expenses. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Stones brought a range of new design concepts and teaching modes to our art work with young people and mentored our Ugandan art colleague. |
| Impact | Creation of public art - mural on main street going into Jinja |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Partnership with Jinja City Council |
| Organisation | Jinja Municipal Council |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | This partnership enabled us to work in 36 schools, 10 secondary and 26 primary run by Jinja Council, offering performance/workshops on gender equality and empathy, and then to offer 3 10-day creative workshops each for 100 young people from these schools. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Council provided letters of support which meant that all the schools were willing to participate in the work and facilitated enabling us to paint murals on city owned walls. |
| Impact | 36 performance/workshops exploring concepts of gender equality, empathy and community cohesion. Theatre led. 3 x 10-day workshops each for 100 young people looking at creativity and gender equality. 7 disciplines - theatre, film, breakdance, traditional dance, pop music, poetry, art. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Conference panel, Mashirika |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We presented a panel at the Mashirika conference in 2023 at Makerere University in Uganda. This comprised: 1. A 10-minute film by young people showing the activity and impact of the Multi-Arts Workshops on their peers. 2. An overview of the project by me. 3. A paper on the poetry produced by Dr Susan Kiguli 4. A paper on the theatre work by Lillian Mbabazi 5. A paper on the art work by Raymond Nsereko Many audience members were amazed at the quality of the work produced by the youth and asked why the work could not be extended more widely across neighbouring countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Creation of public art |
| 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 | The most lasting output from the Multi-Arts Workshops was the creation of three murals which were all painted on public facing walls and therefore add a unique element of public art to the city of Jinja. The young people had never seen or known about murals before. They chose the themes for all. Mural 1, facing the community football pitch in the slum district of Walukuba. Entitled 'Beating Kills Confidence' in Lusoga, this mural contrasted cowed children being beaten with upright young people enjoying the sun in the centre of the piece. Like each mural the work covers some 20 meters. Mural 2, at the beginning of Main Street, this mural profiles a number of images of young people helping each other. The youth wanted to show this as an antidote to a common idea of sometimes intense and destructive competitiveness nurtured in many schools. Mural 3, on he major entry road to Jinja. This mural was inspired by our forest walk and is a more abstract evocation of nature. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | Level 1 Multi-Arts Workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | In 2 school holiday periods we ran 10 day Multi-Arts Workshops for 100 young people each. All the young people involved came from government schools which generally host only poorer pupils and they are able to offer only very limited creative education with very few trained teachers. The young people involved were all 12-16 and were selected on the basis of their application statements; evidence of engagement in the taster workshops discussed in my previous entry and teacher recommendation as to potential benefit. Each day the young people were collected by buses and brought to our central location. They were provided with breakfast and lunch as a considerable number live in food poverty. For 2 hours each morning for the first 4 days everyone participated in workshops looking at issues relating to gender equality; including looking at gendered behaviours, understanding the body and sex education. These session were very important as sex education is minimally taught in Ugandan schools and very many people have minimal understand of issues around sexual and reproductive health. There is also widespread acceptance of patriarchy. Our sessions led to very many pertinent questions from young people and enthusiastic, sometimes heated discussion about the issues arising. They exposed the dangerous levels of ignorance many Ugandans lives with because it is widely considered taboo to discuss matters such as menstruation, safe sex and contraception. For these same four days for the rest of the time the young people could choose any 2 of 7 art forms to experiment with. The art forms on offer were: fine art, theatre, film, pop music, poetry, break dance and traditional dance. The teachers were leading professionals, all Ugandan with the exception of the film tutors. After 4 days the young people chose their preferred area of specialism and then over 5 days worked on a creative artwork dealing with what ever aspect of the gender workshops they most wanted to convey to their peers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Level 2 Multi-Arts Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Our Level 2 Multi-Arts Workshop took the 100 young people from the previous 2 Level 1 workshops that the arts facilitators thought showed most creative promise and offered them a further 10-day training opportunity to develop their skills in their preferred art form. Again students were given free transport, breakfast and lunch. The idea was to begin to move from teaching to learning so that students were encouraged to generate more of their own ideas and take more ownership of material. For the first 4 mornings we ran 2 hour workshops seeking to promote open-mindedness, which seemed particularly important as the generality of Ugandan education emphasises conformity and a rigid notion of 'correctness'. Activities included a 90 minute silent walk in the tropical forest 20 miles away to which almost no-one had previously been; and a workshop exploring the notion of 'Who Am I?', which many, including Ugandan facilitators, found revolutionary, saying they had never considered the matter previously. These workshops were seen as a provocation to students as they began to develop their own artworks over the remaining days. The workshop was received with huge enthusiasm and students were desperate for on-going opportunities to continue with arts work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Public performances of Multi-Arts Workshop products |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | At the conclusion of each Multi-Arts Workshop a public performance was held profiling all the artworks created. Each event was attended by around 500 people; families of participants, teachers and community members. Products in all 7 disciplines were profiled, with most groups showing at least 2 items. Most attendees were very impressed with what the young people achieved and many reported a change in attitude, looking now more positively at the arts. The young people loved the performances and were pretty wild to find ways to carry on in the future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | School performance/workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | We took our community theatre production 'The Fall of Dembe Village' (this is the English title the play was in the local language of Lusoga) into 36 government schools across Jinja City (10 secondary and 26 primary). An average of 200-300 pupils aged 12-16 saw the play which looked at issues undermining community cohesion. The play was followed by an arts-based workshop further exploring these issues after which students were invited to apply to take part in one of our holiday Multi-Arts Workshops. Ugandan schools generally have very little arts provision and little scope for active learning. The events were engaged with enthusiastically and very many pupils applied for the holiday workshops. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |