Playback Nigeria

Transforming Lives Through the healing Power of Arts

What we do

Picture from UNICEF/RUWASA/Playback Nigeria WASH intervention in Borno State, Nigeria.

The Playback Nigeria experience is unique, innovative and galvanizing. It’s also gaining traction and making impacts. Although new, its true power is yet to be truly realized. There are many different applications of our methodologies and we have only scratched the surface of Applied Theatre and Drama potential in Nigeria. Through Applied theatre; process drama, storytelling and improvisation; Playback Nigeria creates safe spaces for art to be actively used for education, alternative therapy, mental health support, community engagement, social transformation and capacity development.

OUR 4 PILLARS

Applied Theatre and Drama

Applied Improvisation

Playback Theatre

Medical Improv

We organize annual theatre for advocacy performances and festivals to address critical issues in the society.

We organize interdisciplinary conferences to reinvent the bridges between Art, Psychology, Sociology and Social Change towards social transformation.

We run interventions that support narrative therapy and promote the culture of listening

We consult for schools, government, iNGOs and corporate organisations to produce themed performances in realization of their set objectives.

PILLAR DRIVE

Art-Based Psychosocial Support and Community Based Interventions

  1. Encourage conversation on psychosocial support, mental health and developmental issues using theatre and art as a tool.
  2. Provide a measurable therapeutic intervention for building resilience for individuals and communities affected by conflict and other social issues
  3. Create a community based support system where individuals can feel safe to express concern, reintegrate into society and have dialogue.
  4. Render (art-based) psychosocial support, recreational activities for communities and groups in need of interventions to aid mental health recovery process.
  5. Organize community based workshops and interventions that addresses social issues using applied drama methods and participatory learning tools.
  6. Run interventions that support narrative therapy and promote the culture of listening.

Education

  1. Provide art-based educational services for the purpose of capacity development, enhancement and participation.
  2. Operate an open access art centre where performers and art lovers of all age groups can meet and participate in theatre and art for social change activities.
  3. Support schools and other educational learning centres in building a theatre for social change culture, acting and life skill classes of their students through improvisational theatre methods.
  4. Establish an international Improvisational Theatre education and camping program.

Training Consultancy

  1. Develop and organize workshops to build the capacity of community volunteers, social workers, humanitarians and those who work in the emergency community. (Drama games, Community Theatre, Storytelling, Improvisation, Drama for Conflict Transformation (DCT) workshop, Forum Theatre workshops, Children’s theatre workshop, advocacy and behavioral change workshops). 
  2. Use improvisation theatre methods to develop creative leaders and organizations with exceptional communication and collaborative skills.
  3. Organize interdisciplinary conferences to reinvent the bridges between Art, Psychology, Sociology and Social Change towards social transformation.
  4. We facilitate theatre trainings and capacity development learnings within the educational and corporate settings using Improv Theatre.

Theatre for social change

  1. Operates a social centred theatre company that performs regularly for audience, participants and communities in driving the organisation’s goal. 
  2. Curate theatre for advocacy performances, festivals and interventions that addresses critical issues affecting vulnerable members of the society.
  3. Develop and produce themed interventions and performances in realization of their set objectives.We consult for schools, government, iNGOs and corporate organizations to carry out their interventions through theatre based methods.

Research Documentation and Publication

  1. Conduct art based research in emergency areas to examine the impact of intervention in communities. 
  2. Develop and publish reports, working materials, training manuals and other educational materials that can help community practice and build resilience.