Reimagining community participation in community projects: The role of theatre for development in inclusive planning
Alero Uwawah Agbonkonkon-Ogbeide, Sam Erevbenagie Usadolo & Renè Alicia Smith
Abstract
Community participation is critical to effective development planning, yet remains a challenge in many parts of Nigeria. This study explores Theatre for Development (TfD) as a participatory tool for fostering inclusive community engagement. Drawing on qualitative data from three university-led TfD projects in Edo State – Ulemon, Okada, and Ekpoma – this paper examines how culturally grounded theatrical interventions influence community participation. Using focus group discussions and unstructured interviews with 90 purposively selected participants (lecturers, students, and community members), the study found that TfD can bridge communication gaps between planners and local populations, especially when delivered in local languages and traditional performance styles. In Ulemon, responsiveness to community priorities resulted in revived cultural practices and strong engagement. In Okada, the exclusion of women from planning led to resistance and non-participation. In Ekpoma, inclusive practices prompted open discussion of road safety issues and contributed to institutional policy change. The closing paragraph now clearly states the paper’s contribution: that TfD facilitates co-production, challenges power, and should be integrated into Nigeria’s planning frameworks. Key findings are explicitly highlighted – cultural revival, gender exclusion, and policy influence – and the final sentence articulates the study’s core argument and practical implication.
Keywords
theatre for development, community engagement, inclusive planning, participatory development, Nigeria
Author information & Contribution
Alero Uwawah Agbonkonkon-Ogbeide. Corresponding author. M.A., Ph.D. Student, Department of Visual Communication Design, Faculty of Arts and Design, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa. Email: 22175201@dut4life.ac.za
Sam Erevbenagie Usadolo. Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, Department of Media, Language and Communication, Faculty of Arts and Design Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa. Email: samu@dut.ac.za
Renè Alicia Smith. Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Wits School of Arts. Email: rene.smith@wits.ac.za
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Durban University of Technology. The conduct of this study has been approved by the Institutional Research and Examination Committee (IREC) with reference number IREC 062/22.
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
This paper is a product of the research undertaken to examine the TfD practice by three higher institutions in Edo State Nigeria.
Acknowledgement
We hereby acknowledge all the institutions and communities mentioned in this article for their contributions towards the success of the research into the practice of TfD in three universities in Edo State, Nigeria. We also appreciate Durban University of Technology for granting us the enabling environment for academic excellence.
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Cite this article:
Agbonkonkon-Ogbeide, A.U., Usadolo, S.E. & Smith, R.A. (2025). Reimagining community participation in community projects: The role of theatre for development in inclusive planning. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(3), 225-246. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353263
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