Participatory theatre and tuberculosis: a feasibility study with South African health care workers

Abstract

Participatory theatre techniques may offer a useful, culturally appropriate supplement to existing educational approaches to the prevention and management of occupational TB. Given the limitations in resources and our assessment of feasibility, training existing health care educators in such techniques would be a promising next step.

Arts-based approaches to promoting health in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

“…Of the 52 papers we identified, 15 17 20 39-87 14 (26.9%) presented theatre as part of a multiform approach. Beneath the category of 'theatre', many studies located themselves with reference to specific traditions or techniques: theatre for development, 82 participatory theatre, 85 forum theatre, 58 image theatre, 57 community theatre 59 and appreciative enquiry. 73 Papers often described BMJ Global Health an extended period in which facilitators worked with community groups to develop a performance by eliciting narratives relating to experiences and perceptions of health conditions (usually HIV/AIDS), before putting on a performance for the community.…”

“…57 Another paper described using body sculpture, image theatre and role-play to help healthcare workers explore and mitigate their risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) while at work. 85 Critical reflections on working with theatre-based art forms were also present in the corpus. One author questions the extent to which 'participatory' methods referred to in some work are truly participatory, suggesting that some invoke the term without in fact providing a space for empowerment or agency.…”

Workers’ compensation claims for occupational tuberculosis in South African health workers: Outcomes and workers’ experiences

“…[24,29,30] As with stigma, interventions at different levels are needed for health workers to fully understand their risk of TB, including innovative approaches such as personal narratives and group drama, which go beyond the sharing of factual information on TB. [24,31,32]…”

The masks we wear: authenticity, vulnerability, and innovation in TB

“…Publishing pioneering ideas at an embryonic stage precludes us from being able to draw conclusions about impact, but it stimulates debate-a core business of this journal. Both papers highlighted here 1,2 show that the masks that we wear include not only N95 respirators, but also the masks of professional distance, stoicism, authoritative knowledge, and, in the case of tuberculosis (TB) researchers, a studied neutrality or 'objectivity' toward this work.…”

“…Parent et al describe a novel effort to increase recall and uptake of occupational health measures using theatre techniques. 1 Starting from Bourdieu's notion that we are creatures of habit and hierarchy, they invited health care workers (HCWs) to physically depict the dilemmas and tensions that personal and administrative infection control measures can imply. The article reveals the trial and error (and the pushback) that often accompanies attempts to alter the rituals and routines of cosmopolitan health care.…”