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.
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