Women's Corner

Kachahari Street Theatre

During the spring of 2003, a Kachahari (street forum) theatre group performed in remote villages in the western part of Nepal.

According to the concept of forum theatre, the actors will only present the first part of a play which embodies a conflict or a theme of relevance to the audience. At any given moment, the play master – the so called Joker – may intervene and stop the performance, asking the spectators for their opinion on how to continue.

In whatever way the audience wants the story to proceed, the actors will play it. Various suggestions and their consequences are explored. In this way, the spectators are made to reflect on the themes of the play and are turned into active participants – with the ultimate aim to empower them to become equally reflective and active actors in their own lives.

The above slide show pictures are from one of the plays that tells the story of a dowry conflict.

Source:  msnepal.org

Street Theatre on Arms Control

Street Theatre pn Traffiking by GWP members, Makwanpur District

Equal Access, an international not-for-profit organization, creates positive change for large numbers of people in the developing world by providing information and education through targeted content, cost-effective technology and community engagement. They use street theatre.

From a 2003 report: "As part of a field visit to Makwanpur District and the offices of our local outreach partner, GWP, we watched a rehearsal of a street drama by local women about the trafficking of girls. In the short video provided here the scene shows a character from Mumbai (in hat) persuading one of the local girls to accompany him to India where many “wonderful things” await. As the story progresses the young girl leaves her village, travels to India, and learns that the character from Mumbai’s lure is all about prostitution. The issue of trafficking of young women is a major concern for this area of Nepal which is located close to the Indian border."