Third training workshop for village communication relays, 28 February to 3 March 2022, Damaro (Guinea)

The third workshop of the Watigueleya Kélê project took place in Damaro, Guinea, from Monday 28 February to Thursday 3 March 2022. The workshop focused on theatre as a means of raising awareness about the effects of climate change. The objective was to train village communication relays to develop and perform skits on the theme of climate resilience, so that they can re-enact them in their villages and initiate discussion around these themes. 

The village communication relays, members of the Donkosira association and the research team as well as the highest authorities of Damaro (including the sub-prefect, the vice mayor, the president of the Fakassia Union, the village chief…) attended the opening ceremony. The village communication relays then received the first results of the socio-economic survey in the form of statistical reports, three copies of which were given to each village. 

Aboubacar Diarra, a Malian expert in theatre training, led the introductory theatre workshop. He began by presenting some fundamental theory on theatre, the elements necessary for writing a play and acting. The theory then gave way to practical exercises on the expression of emotions in theatre and on improvisation. On the third day of training, the villagers had to create a play in advance, in teams of two, in order to perform it the next day in front of the members of the workshop. After the performances, the group discussed how to improve the skits, their pace, the use of the stage, and their relevance to the theme. At the end of the workshop, the trainer thanked the participants for their work and encouraged them to continue. 

During this workshop, the village communication relays demonstrated their ability to use theatre to raise awareness of possible solutions to the difficulties caused by environmental change, often through creative and funny sketches! They are now ready to present their work in their respective localities in order to foster a constructive discussion around climate resilience.