The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya
SOME years ago when we started the Live Literature Project we never thought it would have the impact it has had so far. To be honest the idea was not entirely new. A couple of theatre practitioners had tried it before simply under theatre in education. As the name suggests using theatre to simplify learning and make it more fun and enjoyable.
Some of the notable theatre practitioners who introduced theatre for education were Nicholas Mukaronda and Savanna Trust and the late Ngugi wa Mirii with Zact. The difference with Centre for Talent (CTD) has been the scope and persistence which has resulted in the growth of the project to a fully-fledged schools festivals.
In the past the Live Literature Festival has attracted students outside Bulawayo. Schools have come from as far as Plumtree, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, Kwekwe and Masvingo. All coming to see the plays and see the physicalisation of what they had been reading and discussing in classroom.
The philosophy behind the festival is that plays were never meant to be just read and studied in the classroom. They were meant to be performed live on stage. Even Shakespeare did not see his work confined to the four walls of the classroom and subjected to endless scrutiny. He always saw actors and audiences interacting and enjoying the products of his creativity. The project seeks to use live theatre to simplify or give a better understanding of the texts being studied in schools and colleges.
It is a public fact that our education system is focused on passing national examinations. The Live Literature Project tries to help students achieve this goal while at the same time experiencing the true magical moments of theatre. It is a theatre-in-education project. Obviously there are lots of books and subjects being studied in classrooms. The Live Literature Project hopes to grow and end up including other subjects and other language set books as part of the programme.
The rehearsals have been intense. They started in January and the five plays to be showcased at the festival are almost done. The young cast has grown, and are slowly becoming professionals. The students that come for the festival have said the beauty of the dramatisations is that after watching the plays you hardly need to go and read the texts again for exams. Most remember what they would have seen at the theatre and they have said it is good enough for them to sit and write exams.
I remember one the cast of one the plays visited Marist Brothers in Dete. The students came to the performance carrying their texts. When the performance started they were constantly referring to their texts until they realised the actors were giving them more than they had bargained for. They threw their books away and watched the play. And enjoyed. The post-performance discussions were very fruitful too.
The Live Literature Project is a learning platform for both the young actors and the students that come to watch the plays. It is a platform to learn away from the classroom — giving everyone the chance to learn and think beyond the classroom. Plays to look forward to at the festival are She No Longer Weeps, Dancing in the Dust, Uncertainty of Hope, The Sun Will Rise Again and Harvest of Thorns.
Also interesting is that cast members are mainly students at various levels of their education. Centre For Talent Development members are mostly Form 4, 5, 6 and at university level. The cast has been together for over three years now.
The Live Literature Festival comes immediately after Intwasa and is held at Bulawayo Theatre.
