THEATRE AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING CO-EXISTENCE OF DIVERSE CULTURES: A THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDY OF BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY MAKURDI

This project work is anchored on the use of Theatre for Development (TfD) as a theatre tool for enhancing co-existence of diverse cultures in Benue State University, Makurdi. The study employed TfD integrated participatory communication and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approaches to generate the data required to solve the research problem as well as achieve the aim and objectives of the study. The primary and secondary sources were used for data collection. Findings from the study reveal that various ethno-linguistic, religious and professional groups are allowed freedom of expression, personal opinions as well as perspectives akin to their cultural backgrounds. Findings also reveal that, the medium of participatory theatre is an effective tool to engage heterogeneous population in a dialogue geared towards integration for peaceful coexistence among diverse cultures in Benue State University community. The study concludes that theatre through generations has been engaged as a tool for making the lives of people better in their societies by opening discussions that bring about local solutions akin to them. The study recommends among others that, cultural diversity can be addressed using the TfD tool, thus fostering peaceful co-existence and cultural integration for the actualization of organizational objectives while strengthening political, religious and ethnic ties of the larger society.