[01] Samuel O. Chukwu-Okoronkwo, Department of Mass Communication, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria.

With the paradigmatic shift from the dominant theatre tradition and the more process-oriented nature which theatre has come to assume by re-engaging itself to issues of deeper social concern, its instrumentality in expanding human development frontiers in this new milieu cannot be overemphasized. Theatre for Development paradigm, otherwise called Alternative Theatre, offers an alternative approach to the conventional theatre practice. The ultimate goal of every TfD effort is to address the people’s needs and aspirations through arousing their consciousness for active participation in the development process; and of course using those familiar media at their disposal. By refocusing the Zimbabwean TfD workshop experience, this study examines the intricacies of socio-aesthetic dynamics that had transformed Pungwe – an indigenous performance tradition of the people, from theatre-for-liberation to theatre-of-national-reconstruction, and highlights TfD’s implications for development in Africa.

Conscientization, Development, Participation, Socio-Aesthetic Dynamics, TfD

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