Creating Space, the playground of Freedom Extravaganza

Abstract

Freedom Extravaganza is an educational theatre group from the townships in Durban, South Africa. Theatre is used to empower the theatre members and audiences. The theatre group offers an unique playground for development in various manners. This thesis deals with the cultural model of ubuntu, the African idee of 'humanity and togetherness' and the cultural model of competition in a world of poverty and hardship. The lives of the members of Freedom Extravaganza are described by hand of the cultural models and their experience in the theatre group. Empowerment, agency and structure are important concepts in this research. In the end is explained how the macrosocietal cultural model of ubuntu is transferred and readjusted to the context of Freedom Extravaganza's microsociety.