Success Story : Theatre helps marginalized communities

The effort promotes social expression and discourse on human rights through popular theater

The Active Theater Movement (ATM) uses popular theater to provide a voice to the most marginalized communities in the post-conflict regions of northern Sri Lanka. Its performances facilitate dialogue and promote awareness of critical issues facing these communities such as human rights, reconciliation, and social expression. 

The productions also prompt participants and audiences to confront traumas stemming from decades of life in conflict zones. With the support of USAID’s SPICE project, ATM provides training and performance opportunities for youth to use theater to promote human rights by using their personal narratives and those of their local communities. In early 2015, ATM trained 21 young women and men from villages in Jaffna to act, write scripts, direct and manage the technical aspects of theater production. The group also received training on human rights principles to better understand and contextualize people’s experiences during the conflict. During the workshops, the group selected five themes that are relevant to their lives. They then drafted scripts that they could perform. In August 2015, ATM organized a 12-day drama festival to showcase plays developed by the youth group during the SPICE initiative. The festival staged 17 skits and plays, including performances that addressed serious social issues such as violence against women and the traumatic experiences of war. 

 ATM’s productions re-introduced theater to Jaffna and provided a safe space for public discourse on subjects that would otherwise be too sensitive or difficult to articulate in public. The performance also provided a platform for interactive debate; at the end of each skit or play, the audience was encouraged to reflect and share ideas on the themes raised through the performances. The audience was then encouraged to collectively develop responses to these issues and find ways to improve understanding and respect for human rights. Many youth bear the psychological scars of Sri Lanka’s prolonged conflict. SPICE’s support has given them skills and an opportunity to articulate their emotions and experiences through dramatic expression.

 It has fostered their creativity and built their confidence to share their experiences. This has helped them come to terms with their experiences and promoted integration within their communities and families. Youth theater group member Murugiah Kumarasivam recalls, “When I was 14 years old, my oldest brother was killed by an unknown gang. For years, I could not speak about this and it was a very difficult time for me. … I could not concentrate on anything. The trauma I experienced has remained with me. After I joined the theater group and attended the trainings, it was only then that I felt comfortable to express my feelings to others.