04/18/2007
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Akech Obat Masira
THE STATE GUILTY OF ARTS MEDIOCRITY IN KENYA
The main principle of theatre / drama is to make the message clear thus enabling the audience the best possible way of understanding the message. Again it provides a vital condition for active participatory learning.
In a country like Kenya, where illiteracy and other impediments to information exist drama offers the best opportunities for participation but also in identifying needs and general awareness building.
As a veteran performing artiste in Kenya. History has taught me that Kenya is probably the only country where theatre / drama artistes' services are never acknowledged. Their contributions national development are never recognized and therefore not rewarded as opposed to musicians.
The establishment and the media Houses seems to only recognizes and therefore award the musicians. Why only musicians? Why not other artistes? Is there a difference between our musicians and theatre artistes? If so then what is the difference? Let's compare and contrast their contribution to the national development in terms of entertainment, information dissemination and public education promotion. Who is a cut above the other?
Secondly what kind of messages emanated from our so called "the celebrities" - - like the Kenya musicians? Sometimes quite disappointing. Most of the lyrics (messages) highlight pornography, sycophancy and romance. Could these compositions be translated into national development or nationhood?
How would listeners benefit from these contributions? In terms of knowledge, insight and creating hope. These are the group of artistes that are at the centre of Kenya arts publicity. That is why they are recognized awarded and feted.
I admire Tanzania musicians since early 60's in their composition there is hope, public education and social analysis - - to say the least they were powerful social commentators. Artistes concerned about the welfare of their society. Tanzanian musician's music to say the least is well thought out, well arranged, purposeful, focused, message intelligently passed in artistic style with lots of humour. As opposed to Kenyan musicians. In Kenya Gabriel Omolo is a very unique and creative musician - a cut above Kenyan musicians in terms of ideas, style and message development.
I will make a brief attempt to answer why the state is guilty of arts mediocrity in Kenya. But before I do so I will give a brief historical analysis. Therefore drama / theatre artistes in most cases prick the conscience of the society. In their art the grass root communities gain voice and hope. Through their performance the audiences are able to critically look at the social issues that affect them and how they could confront those issues as individuals or a collective enterprise.
The state has never recognized serious artistic and cultural expressions in Kenya. Our productions in the past had been vetted sometimes, permits denied that the productions were political and what is not politics? As opposed to musicians who sometimes are singing and dancing to the tunes of politicians and state. The Kenya musicians know where there is easy and ready money. The same song can be used to sing ten people in one concert and the only change is the name of the politicians and the "philanthropists"
Back to state and theatre / drama artistes. Theatrical expressions and the establishment in Kenya have had along "cold war" or call it function for along time since the time of Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (Kamirithu Community theatre) in the 70's why/ this is the kind of arts that the community recognize and identify with. It is a two way communication channel and highly participatory. To say the least, a credible channel for promoting planned change.
Through this forum the audiences are empowered to discover the root causes of the social problems. Secondly through it the audience mobilize their human creative potential to solve the problems by changing the underlying the conditions to the problems. In brief this is what the establishment fear and that is why theatre artistes are not the buddies of the system.
As a performing artiste who for more than twenty five years has been acting directing and training in the field of theatre for development or theater fro social transformation both in Kenya and beyond. Most people have been asking me why I have been involved in theatre for almost three decades. What is our vision and mission in the world of theatre arts? These are the questions that have been asked since 80's. Is it to make our audience laugh? To make a quick buck? Is it for popularity? Or is it for political mileage?
Basically my role in the world of theatre arts has and still is very simple. To draw attention to social problems and to use the same drama to rally around the need for social change. I see drama/ theatre as a social tool for the betterment of our society, for better understanding, active community learning process and effective message transmission medium. What gives me solace is that since my involvement in the theatre since 1980 people / old audience still stop me / us on the streets to discuss our previous drama productions. They fondly remember our production; as if that is not enough they even vividly remember the play focus, the plot, the dramatic characters and the dramatic structures ten - - twenty years down the lane. To me it means that my / our purpose was and is still not in vain in the world of arts. In the field of arts it is not it is not the material possession but creativity that is what counts and that is live beyond ones grave.
In 1980 as young budding artistes we founded one of the most powerful youth arts cultural movements in Kenya known as Ramogi Writers and Drama Society. It was a cultural movement that rocked Kenya with powerful serious creative, artistic and cultural expressions in terms of originality and published scripts. We also organized regular public lectures, drama concerts, arts festival (Ramogi Cultural Festival) poetry recitals and writing concerts. I was the founding director. The Ramogi Writers and Drama Society gave me the opportunity to direct my first drama production to be taken to England Birmingham in 1984 - - a South African play by Mthuli Shezi titled SHANTI.
In 1986 I also took the Ramogi Writers and Drama Society to England in the production is titled MUNTU by Joe De Graft. It was performed in many cities in England and ultimately presented at World Arts Festival known as W.O.M.A.D in Bristol. The Kenyan government had already banned the play MUNTU as a school set book - - we defied the government and continued staging MUNTU in schools in Western Kenya. Most of our artistes were not allowed to leave the country, others were forced to resign. The MUNTU production was to be staged in England in May 1986 - - I left the country in June some artistes arrived on the eve of opening night in August 1986.
I was forced to audition artistes in Bristol to do the production eventually MUNTU was a joint production between Ramogi Writers and Drama society (Kisumu Kenya) and Arts Opportunity Theatre (Bristol England). The production received a critical acclaim in England.
In the year 2007, the Misango Arts Ensemble will stage MUNTU by Joe De Graft as from July 2007. It is interesting to note that in Wellington in New Zealand, Mr. Martyn Sanderson is also working on the MUNTU production. Their rehearsals are underway but the production will be staged in 2008. The New Zealand (MUNTU Productions) seeks collaboration with the Misango Arts Ensemble. In Kenya MUNTU has also generated a lot of interests.
Back to England in 1986, during the International Pan Caribbean Theatre Conference held at the Commonwealth Institute London. Two Africans were invited to participate. (The two invitees were myself and the National Director to Ghana National Dance Ensemble). It was at this forum that gave birth to Misango Arts Ensemble. At the end of the conference Misango Arts Ensemble was founded to promote active community learning to stimulate the process of community empowerment in Kenya through the Medium of performing arts and TFD trainings.
The experiences gained at the Pan Caribbean Theatre Conference helped us a great deal.
Back in Kenya, we decided to tailor our performances to our communities' background, culture and their basic knowledge. The intension of the theatre for development activities were to improve our people's participation in development work to bridge development gaps to help people make informed choices about their health. The effectiveness of our theatre for development in Western Kenya endeared us to a number of international development organizations to assist them in message development and message dissemination through the medium of performing arts.
During the infamous land clashes in Mt. Elgon District - - Action Aid contracted us to use the medium of arts to broker peace in the district - - we used theatre for conflict management and resolution. Other organizations that have benefited from our artistic skills are B.K.H Consulting Engineers of Netherlands (Rural Domestic Water Supply and Sanitation Programme) LVEMP Kenya, ITDG Kenya, Millennium Villages Project, Sustainable Aid in Africa, International (SANA) World Neighbors, CARE Kenya (PMTCT) Siaya, PLAN Kenya (Kisumu, Bondo and Homa Bay), ACE Communications Ltd (film productions) only to mention a few.
Currently what we are doing? Our energy are now focused on the development of 30 seconds health radio spots, radio theatre, film production and film scripting and of course - - stage play MUNTU by Joe De Graft.
Back to Uganda in late nineties, our experiences were that most members of Uganda Parliament patronized the Uganda National Cultural Centre / National theatre, Arts festivals, theatre halls to watch drama productions. What do their Kenya counterparts do? Let me talk of our Luo MPs - - You can hardly find a Luo MP watching a theatrical production in Kisumu or even in Nairobi - - their favourites spots are ohangla dens or live music concert joints. Why are they hardly seen in the theatre? - - because the theatre artistes, the politicians think are critical and satirical and may portray them negatively. They go to places they are sure to call shots. It is in ohangla dens and live music concert that their praise songs with impunity, not caring about other patrons welfare. The patrons also came to be entertained and not to listen to the "cheering" artistes only interested in pleasing a very small percent of the patrons.
Our theatre may gain new impetus the moment the Luo politicians starts to patronize the theatre halls to watch serious and creative performance. It is unfortunate that our community always wait for the politicians to give them directions to follow.
So far our theatre has been contributing to social change in Western Kenya by either affecting an individual member or on group level system. This is why our past and present productions are still generating interests.
That was and still is my vision and mission in the field of theatre arts. No wonder our theatre has survived the turbulent waters of the Kenya theatre scene for almost three decades.
END
AKECH
OBAT MASIRA
DIRECTOR
MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE
P.O.BOX 6111
KISUMU - - KENYA EA
TEL: 254 726164954
Google search obat masira.
Website: misangoartsensemble.tripod.com
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