Theatre of Burkina Faso
Theatre of Burkina Faso (formerly the
Traditional theatre
Prior to colonialism, the daily lives of each of Burkina Faso's different ethnic groups were infused with performative rituals.
Theatre under French rule
French Upper Volta, a colony of French West Africa, was established on 1 March 1919. It became the Republic of Upper Volta in 1958, and gained independence from France in 1960. During colonial times, there was no real emergence of a national theatre, with Burkinabè troupes mingling with those of the rest of Francophone West Africa.[2] In the 1930s and 1940s, Burkinabè students studied at the William Ponty Normal School in Dakar, Senegal, and were greatly influenced by contemporary Western theatre.[4]
In the 1950s, following the appointment of Bernard Cornut-Gentil as High Commissioner of French West Africa, it was decided to develop cultural centres in the major cities of the federation, and to begin holding competitive drama festivals.[4] In 1955 and 1957 the Banfora Cultural Centre Troupe gained notice for its performances in these West African drama competitions.[5] Influenced by France, Western-style theatre became common in West Africa.[6] Even the Christian church, previously reluctant to associate with theatre due to its animist roots, began to form troupes of its own to spread the liturgy.[6]
Post-independence
From 1971, the professional theatre of Burkina Faso emerged when the government created a Directorate of Culture to oversee the management of cultural affairs.
The need to educate people in rural areas lead to the creation of "social theatre".
In the 1990s, the theatre industry benefited from the establishment of two educational institutions. In 1990, playwright Jean-Pierre Guingané founded the UNEDO (Union des ensembles dramatiques de Ouagadougou) stage school, for the training of stage actors.[10] In 1999, Prosper Kampaoré opened a theatrical training centre for people developing theatre projects.[10]
References
Notes
- ^ a b Rubin, p.64
- ^ a b c d Marchais, p.96
- ^ "Faces of the Spirits". University of Virginia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
- ^ a b c Rubin, p.65
- ^ Banham, p.142
- ^ a b Rubin, p.66
- ^ a b c "Recent Theatre History" (in French). International Theatre Institute. 18 December 2004. Archived from the original on February 21, 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
- ^ "Atelier-Théâtre Burkinabè (ATB) - Burkina Faso". The Communication Initiative Network. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
- ^ a b Conteh-Morgan, p.59
- ^ a b Herbert, p.38
Bibliography
- Banham, Martin (1995). The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. ISBN 0-521-43437-8.
- Conteh-Morgan, John (1994). Theatre and Drama in Francophone Africa: A Critical Introduction. ISBN 0-521-43453-X.
- Herbert, Ian; Nicole Leclercq (2000). The World of Theatre. ISBN 0-415-23866-8.
- Marchais, Julien. Burkina Faso (in French). Petit Futé. p. 96. ISBN 2-7469-1601-0.
- Rubin, Don (2000). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. ISBN 0-415-05931-3.