the report touch on the connections among cultur, education, and the theme of alienation, and the

282 Pages·2012·4.19 MB·English

DOCUMENT RESUME
SO 023 930
ED 379 169
Epskamp, Kees
AUTHOR
Learning by Performing Arts: From Indigenous to
TITLE
Endogenous Cultural Development. CESO Paperback No.
16.
Center for the Study of Education in Developing
INSTITUTION
Countries, The Hague (Netherlands).
ISBN-90-6443-110-8
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
92
NOTE
282p.
PUB TYPE
Books (010)
MF01/PC12 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Developing Nations; *Development Communication;
DESCRIPTORS
Foreign Countries; Higher Education; * Indigenous
Populations; *International Education; *Theater
Arts
*Zambia
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This document explores, from a Dutch perspective, the
role of the performing arts in education in developing nations. In
particular, the analysis focuses on Zambia. Introductory sections of
the report touch on the connections among cultur, education, and
performance, as well as the role of avant-garde and popular theater,
the theme of alienation, and the anthropology of theater. A
historical section addresses the use of theater in development
communication, popular theater and social change, the performing arts
in African indigenous education, and the historical development of
Zambian national theater. A section entitled "Theatre for
Development" deals with the performing arts in national development,
theater fo, development in India and Bangladesh, and the role of the
performing arts in changing women's roles. "Education and Training"
is the title of a section that encompasses the formalizing of
expressive skills training and implementing the anthropology of
theater. A section on policy examines the Dutch role in international
performing arts education and research, an international popular
theater meeting in Zambia, and the empowerment of development support
communication via theater for development. The document also includes
appendices containing acronyms and definitions. Contains
notes
approximately 20 pages of references. (SG)
***********************************************************************
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the or;ginal document.
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The task of the Centre for the Study of Education in Developing
Countries (cEso), as its name implies, is to contribute to the study of
the problems involved with education and development in the Third
World. CESO also offers consulting services with respect to policy
issues, field projects and the evaluation of educational training
programmes. A specialized library offers extensive information about
education in the Third World.
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© 1992
Centre for the Study of Education in Developing Countries (cEso),
The Hague.
The author is responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts
contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein,
which are not necessarily those of CESO and do not engage the
responsibility of the organization.
No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without
permission from the publisher, except for the quotation of brief
passages in criticism.
CIP- GEGEVENS KONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK, DEN HAAG
Epskamp, Kees
Learning by performing arts: from indigenous to endogenous cultural
development/ Kees Epskamp The Hague: Centre for the Study of
(cEso paperback;
Ill.
Education in Developing Countries (cEso).
no. 16)
Met bibliogr.
ISBN 90-6443-110-8
Trefw.: toneel; ontwikkelingslanden I culturele vorming;
ontwikkelingslanden.
SO
CESO PAPERBACK NO.16
Learning by
performing arts
From indigenous
to endogenous cultural
development
Kees Epskamp
.1
fs
Foreword
CESO is a research institute which is concerned with the study of education in
developing countri'.;s, as the name indicates. In addition, CESO performs studies
in support of the Netherlands policy in development co-operation with respect to
education and training. Because of this the Centre is frequently involved in
lending policy advice and monitoring collaborative relations.
For a number of years one of the Centre's research themes has been didactic
styles existing and operating in developing countries, which have of old
determined skill training in non-western cultures. These studies are anthropologi-
cal in nature, dealing with indigenous and endogenous didactic processes, in
which learning is a creative process of ad-hoc problem solving. Of course solving
problems has two sides, an instrumental-technical one and an expressive c ne.
Both aspects are dealt with in CESO studies.
In relation to performing arts, CESO in 1986 launched an extensive study of
the role of development-supporting theatre as an educative medium for adult
education in the Third World.
Several studies were undertaken for the purpose, after which CESO issued
some occasional papers. In 1989 the study was wound up with the publication of
a paperback entitled Theatre in search of social change, containing a thorough
assessment of the educational value of theatre in the field of adult education.
Countless examples featuring in the study were derived from Africa, Asia and
Latin America.
CESO undertook a second study of the performing arts in 1988, this time an
identification study. The aim was to achieve an inventory of the Netherlands
expertise with regard to the performing arts outside the Euro-American cultural
world. The basic assumption was that such expertise should also exist outside the
academic circle of research and higher education, with practitioners of performing
arts. Never before had such expertise been extensively mapped out in the
Netherlands.
This study, partly sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Welfare, Public
Health and Culture (WVC), yielded two provisional conclusions. In the first place
it appeared that more and more young and theoretically trained researchers felt
the need for practical training in their subjects, beside their scientific study of
-0-
non-western performing arts. There is a growing interest in 'learning by doing',
among young scholars.
The second conclusion of this inventory of the Netherlands expertise potential
with respect to non-western performing arts, was that the majority of researchers
and artists, students and lecturers tended to undertake a journey to Southern and
South-East Asia. This is hardly surprising, in view of the Netherlands historical
contacts with Indonesia. The most frequently visited places are Java and Bali,
then India, followed by Japan and China. The attention for these areas can he
explained by the Netherlands' cultural treaties with these countries.
5
Following the line of this identification study, in 1990 CESO started a third study
dealing with performing arts, this time focusing on research into arts and fine arts
education in the developing countries at the tertiary level. In this study special
attention was paid to the didactics of craft-like training programmes, as for
example the apprenticeship system, the pedagogical principle of learning by doing
and the workshop methodology. Within this special sector of higher professional
training ways were explored in linking up South-South networks and North-South
collaboration strategies which fit into the Netherlands educational policy of
internationalizing Higher Professional Trdining (HBO) institutes.
It is hoped that by publishing this paperback on 'learning by performing arts'
a wider acceptance and support will grow for future collaborative activities in this
field.
In 1984, Kees Epskarnp spent two months in Zambia to make a preliminary study
of developments in Zambian performing arts. He combined his research into the
literature with interviews with experts present. The study was undertaken in co-
operation with the Institute of African Studies (IAS) in Lusaka, in close co-
operation with the Department of Performing Arts in Lusaka, and with the
Department of Performing Arts connected with the Centre for the Arts of the
University of Zambia (UNZA).
This document would never have been achieved without the special co-
operation of Dr. S.P.C. Moyo, director of the Institute of African Studies
(Lusaka), Dr. M.I. Mapoma, director of the Centre for the Arts (UNZA, Lusaka)
and Mr. Edgar Nkowane, artistic leader of the National Dance Troupe of
Zambia. Without the continuous stimulus and enthusiasm of Kabwe Kasoma,
connected with the Centre for the Arts, and Dickson Mwanza, connected with
UNZA, this study of Zambian Performing Arts would never have attained this
depth.
Grateful acknowledgements also have to be made to Stewart Crehan (during
1991 related to the University of Swaziland) for his useful suggestions concerning
my notes on Zambian theatre.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following for permission to reprint
materials in this book: 'Curricula, credits and certificates: formalizing expressive
in performing arts', which was published in the Journal of
training
skill
Developing Societies, volume VII 1991: p. 238-255; 'Historical outline of the
development of Zambian national theatre', which appeared in the Canadian
Journal of African Studies, 21(1987)2: 157-174; 'The changing role of popular
theatre' published in Group Media Journal, volume 10 (1991) number 3: p. 16-
20; 'Theater voor ontwikkeling is goedkoop en effectief
published in Overzicht;
,
Sameniverking in Ondenvijs, Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling, volume 21 (1991)
number 2: pp. 12-16. Chapter 15 'Playing in a sandpit; international popular
theatre meeting in Namibia' has been published in South African Theatre Journal,
7(1993)1.
Part of the introductory chapter one of this book has formerly been published in
the Dutch language in Tribaal, number 24, January 1986 (pp. 9-10), under the
title 'Dans en drama in Zambia; initiatie als leerproces': Parts of chapter eleven
have been published earlier in NIO-Kroniek no. 57(1988) pp. 11-13 entitled
'Komen vrouwen de belijdenis voorbij; theater als emanciperend medium' and
also in the same bulletin no. 62(1989) pp. 17-18 under the title 'Kom, we nemen
er nog een'.
Elaborated quotations are made from articles from the author which appeared
under the title of 'Getting popular theatre internationally organised' in number 11
(December 1983) of Sono lux Information (p. 19-21); 'Training popular theatre
trainers: a case study of Nigeria' in volume 29 (1983) of Maske and Kothurne,
Internationale Beitrtige zur Theaterwissenschaft (p. 272-281); 'Theater en de
eigenaardigheden van gedrag: rituelen als model voor de on-alledaagse
werkelijkheid' in Rituelen, a reader published by the secretarial office of Bureau
Studium Generale of the State University of Utrecht (RUU) in 1989 (p. 177-196);
'Vormingstheater: activist theatre in the Netherlands' published in Theaterwork,
3(1983)3: 33-35.
Some of the chapters in this book have been presented on an earlier date at
various international meetings and conferences and have not been published
before. Chapter two 'Avant-garde and popular theatre: a Cry of Asia' was first
prepared and presented at the Studium Generale on the 'Cry of Asia', organised
by the State University of Utrecht (RUU) on the 24th of October 1989. Chapter
three 'From didactics to aesthetics: alienation and the theatre of the nineties' was
prepared for and presented at the Popular Theatre Workshop/Conference
organized by the International Council of Adult Education (ICAE) in Rehoboth
(Namibia), 1st-14th of August, 1991. Chapter five on 'Fools for development'
was initially prepared and presented at the April Fools' Day conference on
linguistic humor, WHIM conference at the Memorial Union, Arizona State
University (Tempe), April 1-3, 1982. Eventually the text of chapter ten 'From
popular theatre to theatre for development in India and Bangladesh' was prepared
I 1 th European Conference on Modern South Asian
for and presented at the
Studies (Panel 11, 'The Performing Arts'), Amsterdam July 2nd to July 5th,
1990. Chapter twelve on 'Curricula, cl_dits and certificates' was originally
prepared for the international symposium on 'Education, Culture and Productive
Life in Developing Countries', organised by :he Centre for the Study of
Education in Developing Countries (CESO), The Hague, 9-21 December 1988.
of theatre into practice: training, acting
Chapter thirteen 'Putting the anthropol
and simulating' was initially prepared and presented at a Studium Generale series
of lectures on 'Cultural Erosion' organised by the University of Amsterdam
(UvA; CREA) and the Soeterijn Theatre (KIT) on the thirteenth of February
1992. 'Internationalizing Dutch higher education and research with respect to the
performing arts', was prepared for and presented at the 1st Congress 'European
Theatre', 26th-30th of March, organised by the University Institute of European
Theatre, Barcelona (Spain), 1991.
Special acknowledgements have to be made to the Dutch theatre group 'Tender'
kindly offering its support in finding photographs on their performances to be
included in this book.
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Contents
Foreword
7
Introduction: culture, education and performance
1.
23
Avant-garde and popular theatre: a Cry of Asia
2.
From didactics to aesthetics:
3.
31
'alienation' and the theatre of the eighties
The terminological knot:
4.
47
research into the anthropology of theatre
History
I.
Fools for development:
5.
61
using traditional theatre in development communication
75
Popular theatre in processes of social change
6.
93
Performing arts a,id indigenous education in Africa
7.
Historical outline of the development of
8.
111
Zambian national theatre
Theatre for development
II.
Performing arts and theatre for development in Africa
131
9.
From popular theatre to theatre for development
10.
147
in India and Bangladesh
Changing attitudes in 'women's affairs':
11.
163
performing arts as instruments for publicity
Education and training
Curricula, credits and certificates:
12.
formalizing expressive skill training in performing arts
179
5
10