Theatrical Therapeutic Interventions in Cameroon

Paul Animbom

Description

Theatre use in therapeutic settings is more relevant now in Cameroon than ever. The incessant hike in crises leaves many in difficult mental health conditions that the available modern treatment facilities cannot fully address. Other alternatives can therefore be used to address these and this book looks at those related to theatre. The focus here is on using theatre techniques in therapeutic contexts either directly or indirectly through cross-examination of theatre productions and performative healing rites. Major therapeutic uses of theatre in Cameroon are discussed with a special focus on theatre for development, community theatre, theatre of the oppressed, and traditional healing ritual practices. In all these forms, therapeutic aspects of dramatic art are fore-grounded and developed to their fullest potential. The boundary separating these genres (western and Cameroonian) is narrow compared to their similarities. This examination portrays a Cameroonian model of theatre in health aimed at addressing mental health. As a model, it considers the sociocultural specificities of the participants who combine theatrical elements with health and communication to achieve wellbeing in a collective process. Theatre as a result of this serves as an ideal therapeutic modality wherein individuals and society get rid of their painful memories and thinking, and become involved in a healing process wherein, theatre acts as a powerful catalyst for behavioural change both on individual and community bases.

Sujets

• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 22 octobre 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789956553341
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Theatrical Therapeutic Interventions in Cameroon Paul N. Animbom

L a ng a a R esea rch & P u blishing CIG Mankon, Bamenda

Publisher: LangaaRPCIG Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon [e-mail] www.langaa-rpcig.net

Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective [e-mail] www.africanbookscollective.com

e-ISBN: 978-9956-553-34-1

©Paul N. Animbom 2024

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or be stored in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations.....................................................................vii

Introduction ..................................................................................1

Chapter 1: Theatre/Drama, Therapy, Therapeutic: Semantic Clarifications .................................................................15 1. Theatre......................................................................................................... 15 1.1. Functions of theatre in the society................................................. 16 1.2. Theatre and Entertainment ............................................................. 17 1.3. The educational function of Theatre............................................. 19 2. Drama/theatre, therapy, and therapeutic .............................................. 22 3. Therapeutic function of Theatre ............................................................. 26 4. Defining Therapeutic Theatre ................................................................. 29 4.1. Focus and essence of therapeutic theatre ..................................... 38 4.2. Components of therapeutic theatre............................................... 39 4.3. Problem Solving................................................................................ 40 4.4. Imagination in Therapy ................................................................... 40 4.5. Dramatic play .................................................................................... 41 5. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 42

Chapter 2: Forms of Community-Based Theatre-Related Therapeutic Interventions in Cameroon ...........45 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 45 2. Social Theatre ............................................................................................. 45 3. Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) .............................................................. 46 a The Rashomon Technique in Theatre of the Oppressed............... 49 b. Critical thinking in theatre of the oppressed ................................... 50 4. Theatre for Development (TFD)............................................................ 53 a. Participatory form ................................................................................ 54 b. Non-Participatory Theatre for Development ................................. 55 5. Community Theatre .................................................................................. 56 6. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 57

Chapter 3: An Analysis of Some Workshop Productions on Theatre-Related Therapeutic Interventions in Cameroon ...........................................................59 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 59 2. Type and place of intervention................................................................ 60 iii

2.1. The SOS Village Mbalmayo Workshop ........................................ 61 2.2. Ndop workshop................................................................................ 62 2.3. The Boomerang ................................................................................ 62 3. Nature of interventions as performance ................................................ 64 3.1. Production ......................................................................................... 64 a) Stage Space...................................................................................... 65 b) Target audience/population and participants........................... 69 3.2. Reception/perception of the Productions ................................... 72 a) The Boomerang ............................................................................. 72 i) Music and Songs ....................................................................... 72 ii) Dance......................................................................................... 77 b) Ndop Workshop ........................................................................... 79 i) Songs and dances...................................................................... 81 ii) Dialogues .................................................................................. 82 c) SOS Village Mbalmayo Workshop ............................................. 84 4. Effectiveness of Therapeutic Theatre .................................................... 86 5. Healing in Therapeutic Theatre............................................................... 90 6. Evaluation ................................................................................................... 92 7. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 94 Chapter 4: Theatrotherapeutic Interventions ...............................99 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 99 2. Traditional African medicine/healing .................................................... 100 2.1. Diagnostics ........................................................................................ 101 2.2. Treatments ......................................................................................... 102 3. Theatricalising traditional psychotherapy and healing: transiting frontiers ............................................................. 104 3.1. The Pre-established Text................................................................. 104 a) Text .................................................................................................. 104 b) Song ................................................................................................. 106 3.2. Variants .............................................................................................. 109 a) Dialogue .......................................................................................... 110 b) Chorus............................................................................................. 112 3.3. Directing: circle and dance .............................................................. 113 a) Stage space ...................................................................................... 113 b) Dance .............................................................................................. 119 4. Traditional healing as an integral theatrotherapeutic modality.................................................................... 122 4.1. Theatrical or performance space: space dynamics ...................... 123 4.2. Text ..................................................................................................... 125 4.3. Performers ......................................................................................... 128 4.4. Spect-actors/participants................................................................. 131 5. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 133

iv

Chapter 5:Theatre Techniques in a Hospital Setting: Report and Analysis.........................................................137 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 137 2. Presentation of Jamot Hospital Yaoundé .............................................. 138 3. Presentation of Patients/Participants..................................................... 139 4. Workshop Process..................................................................................... 140 5. Evaluation and Results ............................................................................. 155 6. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 158 Chapter 6: Other Theatre-Based Therapeutic Techniques ..........161 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 161 2. The symbolisation of Theatre.................................................................. 162 3. Mask Work.................................................................................................. 165 4. Role Play...................................................................................................... 166 5. Taxonomy of role types............................................................................ 167 6. Group Work ............................................................................................... 169 7. Games.......................................................................................................... 170 8. Stories .......................................................................................................... 171 9. Improvisation ............................................................................................. 172 10. Movement................................................................................................. 173 Conclusion ....................................................................................177 References.....................................................................................183 Annex ............................................................................................189

v

vi

List of Abbreviations AWICO: Association of Women’s Information and Coordination Offices AIDS: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIM: Arts in Medicine BADTh: British Association of Dramatherapists BIMEHC: The Babungo Integrated Mental Health Care for Humanity CRTV: Cameroon Radio Television GCP: Good Clinical Practice HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus PLWA: People Living With AIDS PLWA: People Living With Aids TFD: Theatre for Development TO: Theatre of the Oppressed TV: Television UN: United Nations UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation WHO: World Health Organisation

vii