Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates and examines the dynamics of intercultural theatre practice. Existing scholarship on interculturalism in theatre praxis regards intercultural theatre as a site for bridging cultures and cross-cultural performance traditions, and for investigating the performance of power between the collaborating parties, learning, cultural imperialism, cultural translation and hybridity, among other features. However, much of the existing literature does not offer a historical perspective allowing one to understand the dynamics of contemporary North-South collaborations. Moreover, most studies do not adequately weave the experiences of the participants in such collaborations into their analyses. This study contributes to filling that research gap.
This research specifically seeks to investigate and examine the dynamics of intercultural theatre collaborations in Uganda, taking Makerere University‘s Department of Performing Arts and Film‘s intercultural theatre activities in recent years as case studies. The inquiry was mainly driven by the impetus to explore the North-South intercultural theatre dynamics and to examine the socio-cultural, socio-political, socio-economic features and other notions that were manifested in these intercultural theatre collaborations and performances.
In order to pursue the above line of inquiry I used a multiple case study design by examining three cases: the Stanford-Makerere, New York-Makerere and the Norwegian College of Dance-Makerere collaborations. The multi-case study model was reinforced by the use of personal interviews, direct observation, focus group discussions, document analysis and emails of inquiry in order to solicit the views of individuals who had participated in the above collaborations. Theoretically, the study is hinged on a multiplicity of concepts and discourses: symbolic interaction, intercultural communication, theatre studies, postcolonial studies, international education and the discourse on globalisation.
In the analysis of the different cases it was discovered that the issue of economic inequality in the contribution towards the funding of the collaborations, among the different modes of power performativity manifested in the collaboration processes, sometimes leads to an imbalance in the decision-making process. Consequently, the power imbalance contributes to the North-South intercultural theatre collaborations‘ unending crisis of identification with imperialism.
The study further shows that there are cultural, linguistic, pedagogical, structural and socio-psychological aspects of difference that are negotiated during the course of the collaborations.
It was found that the process of navigating the socio-cultural differences provides the participants with an experiential learning environment of living with/within and appreciating cultural differences, thus providing a bridge across the socio-cultural divide. The cultural bridge in theatrical terms, however, leads to the generation of theatrical hybridity and fusion, which again brings into play the debate on intercultural performance authenticity/inauthenticity in theatre discourse.
Also, based on the view that intercultural theatre collaborations are microcosms of multifaceted global intercultural interactions, it was seen that the socio-cultural differences that are negotiated through the intercultural theatre collaborations can give one a microcosmic platform for critiquing the grand concept of the ―global village‖ and the associated notion of ―world cultural homogenisation‖. Since this study uses a novel multidisciplinary approach in the analysis of intercultural theatre phenomena, I believe it will contribute to critical theatre studies in Uganda and elsewhere. The findings will also hopefully contribute towards the assessment of intercultural theatre collaborations at Makerere University in order to improve them. The study will also advance the view that intercultural theatre‘s aesthetic and experiential processes can help in interpreting and understanding our respective multicultural environments. Broadly, it will contribute to the discourse on intercultural communication, performance and cultural studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die dinamika van interkulturele teaterpraktyk. Bestaande navorsing oor interkulturaliteit in die teaterpraktyk beskou interkulturele teater as ‘n forum vir die oorbrugging van kultuurgrense en interkulturele opvoeringstradisies, en vir die ondersoek na aangeleenthede soos die uitvoering van mag tussen die deelnemende partye, leer, kulturele imperialisme, kulturele vertaling en hibriditeit. Die bestaande literatuur bied egter grotendeels nie ‘n historiese perspektief waaruit die dinamika van kontemporêre Noord-na-Suid-samewerkings verstaan kan word nie. Verder verweef die meeste ondersoeke nie die ervarings van die deelnemers aan sulke samewerkings bevredigend in hul analises nie. Hierdie ondersoek dra by tot die vul van daardie navorsingsgaping.
Hierdie navorsing poog spesifiek om die dinamika van interkulturele teatersamewerkings in Uganda te ondersoek deur van onlangse interkulturele teateraktiwiteite aan die Departement Uitvoerende Kuns en Film aan die Makerere Universiteit gebruik te maak as gevallestudies. Die beweegrede vir die ondersoek is hoofsaaklik die verkenning van die dinamika van interkulturele Noord-na-Suid-teatersamewerking en ‘n ondersoek na die sosio-kulturele, sosio-politiese en sosio-ekonomiese kenmerke en ander opvattinge wat in hierdie interkulturele teatersamewerkings en -opvoerings gemanifesteer het.
Om hierdie ondersoek te onderneem, het ek drie gevalle in ‘n meervoudigegevallestudie-ontwerp bestudeer: die samewerkings tussen onderskeidelik Stanford en Makerere, New York en Makerere, en die Norwegian College of Dance en Makerere. Die meervoudigegevalle-ontwerp is versterk deur die gebruik van persoonlike onderhoude, direkte waarneming, fokusgroepgesprekke, dokumentanalise en e-posnavrae in ‘n poging om die opvattings van individue wat aan die bogenoemde samewerkings deelgeneem het, te verkry. Teoreties is die studie gefundeer in ‘n veelvoud konsepte en diskoerse: simboliese interaksie, interkulturele kommunikasie, teaterstudies, postkoloniale studies, internasionale opvoedkunde en die diskoers oor globalisering.
In die analise van die verskillende gevalle is bevind dat die kwessie van ekonomiese ongelykheid in bydraes tot die befondsing van samewerkings, onder die verskillende modusse van magsperformatiwiteit wat in die samewerkingsprosesse gemanifesteer het, soms ‘n wanbalans in die besluitnemingsproses tot gevolg het. Gevolglik dra hierdie magswanbalans by tot die nimmereindigende krisis van identifikasie met imperialisme waaronder interkulturele Noord-na-Suid-teatersamewerkings gebuk gaan.
Die ondersoek toon verder dat daar kulturele, linguistiese, pedagogiese, strukturele en sosio-psigologiese verskille is wat oorkom moet word vir suksesvolle samewerkings om plaas te vind.
Daar is bevind dat die hantering van sosio-kulturele verskille die deelnemers van ‘n eksperimentele leeromgewing voorsien vir die belewing en waardering van kultuurverskille, waardeur die sosio-kulturele skeiding oorbrug word. Die kulturele brug lei egter, in toneelmatige terme, na die ontwikkeling van toneelmatige hibriditeit en versmelting, wat weer die debat oor die outentisiteit al dan nie van interkulturele opvoerings in die teaterdiskoers aktiveer.
Verder is daar, gebaseer op die siening dat interkulturele teatersamewerkings mikrokosmosse van veelvlakkige globale interkulturele interaksie is, bevind dat die sosio-kulturele verskille wat deur interkulturele teatersamewerkings oorkom word, ‘n mikrokosmiese platform kan voorsien vir die kritisering van die begrip van die sogenaamde ―wêrelddorpie‖ en verwante nosies van wêreldwye kulturele homogenisering. Aangesien hierdie ondersoek ‘n nuwe multidissiplinêre benadering tot die analise van interkulturele teaterverskynsels gebruik, glo ek dit sal bydra tot die teaterkritiek in Uganda en elders. Die bevindinge sal hopelik bydra tot die assessering van interkulturele teatersamewerkings aan Makerere Universiteit om hulle te verbeter. Die ondersoek sal ook die siening voortdra dat interkulturele teater se estetiese en ervaringsprosesse kan help met die interpretasie en verstaan van ons onderskeie multikulturele omgewings. Breedweg sal dit bydra tot die diskoers oor interkulturele kommunikasie, opvoering en kultuurstudie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96034 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Kagolobya, Richard |
| Contributors | Hees, Edwin, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xii, 305 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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