Rights and Equity: Information through Popular Theatre

Lack of access to information is a major obstacle to realising the socio-economic development of the rural poor in Bangladesh. To address this information gap, BRAC uses Popular Theatre, which has proved to be a highly effective communication medium for generating mass awareness and information dissemination at the grassroots level.

Popular Theatre teams are capable of producing and staging dramas on a wide range of issues. The dramas cover various topics including social issues such as dowry, child marriage and domestic violence, health and environmental related issues, as well as many other local and national issues.

The plays stimulate consciousness among the audience about their surroundings, create awareness and facilitate a platform for dialogue and commitment on issues that affect their lives.

At present, there are 358 Popular Theatre groups across the country that stage nearly 35,000 shows per year.

Popular Theatre

Popular Theatre is an innovative medium of communication focused on raising awareness about social and political issues that affect the Bangladeshi rural poor, especially women.

The performers are recruited locally, and the plays are based on local and national issues that reflect local culture and the socio-economic context of the region. The performances are delivered in local dialects to maximise the effect of the messages.

Popular Theatre also promotes women’s social inclusion and participation in society. The plays are usually staged in the evenings, drawing large audiences including women and children. A play typically draws 250-500 people. It allows a platform for participatory dialogue. Women’s voices and opinions are heard and strengthened, while examples of socio-economic-political transformation depicted in the plays encourage women’s involvement in communities.

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