Applied theatre

In its general sense, this contemporary term is used as a wide, catch all concept, which refers to a variety of activities and methods utilizing theatre processes in order to heal, change, educate, inform and otherwise empower people and thus perhaps also to change society. (See Drama in Education, Theatre in Education, Theatre for change, Theatre for development, Theatre in Education, Sociodrama, Psychodrama, and so on.)

The term itself was not in use in the 1970s and 1980s, but has today become the most common general term for the field of interactive, developmental work. To a certain extent, applied theatre would become the most important element of the South African theatre and performance paradigm in the last phase to be discussed, for after 1994 the country had to cope with massive change on all fronts and deal with the ravages caused by past and present inequities – including issues of health, social welfare and violence.

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