St Mary’s University College and Theatre for a Change

Drama & Applied Theatre students at St Mary’s University College
(SMUC) have now been involved with Theatre for a Change (TfaC)
for three years. During this time they have been studying TfaC’s
drama methodology via workshops, and running fundraising and
advocacy events. They have also attended a Guardian Media event
and other conferences to raise awareness about TfaC’s work in
Malawi.
In November 2009, Year 2 student, Jack Taylor, accompanied by
Drama St Mary’s lecturer, Mark Griffin, travelled to Lilongwe in
Malawi to observe TfaC in action and gather information to report
back to his fellow students. During this trip, he made a video that
included interviews with participants and with the management
team.
In May 2011, 18 Year 3 students will visit Lilongwe together to work
alongside participants and TfaC, delivering workshops and
recording their experiences. This will be a transformative experience
for the students, most of whom have not visited an African country
before. The visit is embedded in the Drama St Mary’s curriculum;
the Theatre for Development module will be assessed through the
‘in-the-field’ involvement with TfaC. This is a unique module which
equips up to twenty young applied theatre practitioners each year
with the skills and initial experience of advocating and using drama
methodology in a development context.