Using theatre as a tool for development

It seems theatre is in vogue now and has once again become trendy  among lovers of the arts. This welcome development holds a lot of promise for theatre in general. As a tool for development, theatre has been used in developed countries for engineering and changing the mindset of people.

It is for this reason that the growing interest in theatre in recent years should be encouraged  to bring benefits to the country especially in driving societal change and educating the citizens on important issues.

In every country where theatre has been accepted by the masses, public discipline and public morality is much higher than countries who have shun theatre and relegated it to the background on its developmental agenda.

It is based on this background that Showbiz believes that theatre should be used to do more than just entertaining its audience.  A conscious effort to drive the agenda of development in the country should be made.

The most effective way of communicating anything to anybody is through the magic of humour and if  education is presented in an interesting and entertaining way, it will get an audience. 

Until recently, theatre was one of the forgotten areas of our creative arts sector . All the attention and resources were focused almost exclusively on musical concerts and similar events. 

The high patronage of plays in recent times is commendable and we say kudos to our playwrights for making theatre a viable investment option for sponsorship from corporate Ghana. 

It is also important that we ride on its huge patronage to make it more attractive to the youth to understand and accept its relevance.

There is still a long way to go but we urge our playwrights not to lose their zeal. Although it might seem like a tireless effort today, posterity will forever remember their names for what they have contributed to our creative arts industry and society as a whole.