A Morobe Theatre group is using drama to extend a message to educate communities in Lae about sorcery and gender based violence.
The SEEDS theatre group includes members of the Lae Community who are working with the Creative Industries faculty of Queensland University of Technology to bring home the message.
With gender based violence common and in some communities, accepted to some extent, it has given all the more reason to intensify efforts to educate people on the causes, effects and the solutions.
Since Monday, they have been working with a group from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to refine the messages against generated and sorcery-related violence using local content.
Drama expert, Dr. Jackie Kauli, from the QUT who has worked in Madang on similar projects, says using drama remains an effective means of delivering important messages in performative societies like Papua New Guinea.
The group is exploring common scenarios that trigger violence; misunderstanding, alcohol, and the perceived status of women in the society.
The work comes at a time when gender based violence and sorcery related violence have drawn international attention and tainted the image of Papua New Guinean communities.
Tomorrow, the group will go to the Awagasi Market in Kamkumung to perform dramas that drive home the message. They will use words content, expressions and language commonly used by this generation.
It is an attempt to connect with the audience and hopefully, trigger a change in mindset.
