Theatre and Empowerment examines the ability of drama, theatre, dance and performance to empower communities of very different kinds, and it does so from a multi-cultural perspective. The communities involved include poverty-stricken children in Ethiopia and the Indian sub-continent, disenfranchised Native Americans in the USA and young black men in Britain, victims of violence in South Africa and Northern Ireland, and a threatened agricultural town in Italy. The book asserts the value of performance as a vital agent of necessary social change, and makes its arguments through the close examination, from 'inside' practice, of the success - not always complete - of specific projects in their practical and cultural contexts. Practitioners and commentators ask how performance in its widest sense can play a part in community activism on a scale larger than the individual, 'one-off' project by helping communities find their own liberating and creative voices.

A collection of essays on the ability of drama and performance to empower communities.

About the Author
Richard Boon is Professor of Performance Studies at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds. Jane Plastow is Senior Lecturer in Theatre Studies at the Workshop Theatre, School of English, University of Leeds.

Reviews
"Recommended. Theater and performance studies collections at all levels." E.C. Ramirez, formerly, St. Philip's College, CHOICE



Book Information
ISBN 9780521817295
Author Richard Boon
Format Hardback
Page Count 280
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 610g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 160mm * 25mm