EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF UTILIZING THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS

This study maps out the existing challenges of Theatre for Development utilization in youth capacity building programs. This study was based onthe background that even when Theatre for Development has been used as a transformative tool to fight youth unemployment, the levels of unemployment among youths keep on increasing. The focus of this study was on mapping out the constraints faced in bring out transformative aspect of this important action oriented educational tool in the community. In this study authors contend that effective use of Theatre for Development brings out capacity building which in turn brings about creation of employment among the youths. The article addresses two research questions which are: What are the challenges faced in utilizing Theatre for Development in youths’ capacity building programs in the community and; How can the challenges in utilizing Theatre for Development in youth’s capacity building programs be addressed? A case study research design that focused on a non-governmental organization called Africa Directions was adopted for this study. Descrptive methods wered used to collect and analyse the data on what challenges were faced in the utilization of Theatre for Development in resolving the problem of youth unemployment. In-depth interviews were conducted with 8 programme officers, 30 theatre group members and 12 youths who had been with the institution for more than 1 year. Observations were done on 4 activities that were carried out in the community. Data were analyzed thematically through inductive thematic analysis. The study findings showed that, the challenges faced included; appreciation of Theatre for Development, diversity of youth needs, advancement in technology, lack of space and funding in Theatre for Development. The study concludes by making recommendations that the government and NonGovernmental Organizations should have Theatre for Development firmly rooted in the polices of community development in order to be used constantly as part of the existing programs; Furthermore, department of Adult Education and community development should explore avenues of the engaging the Ministry of Education and relevant authorities on how performing theatre like drama can be a stand-alone subject so that the technique of theatre for development can be learned from an early stage in schools and colleges.