Educational Theatre for the SDGs

Since the Middle Ages in Europe with their travelling bards and much earlier in African and other oral traditions, song and dance have been central to basic social messaging. However, in the ongoing top-level discussions about how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, there is little or no consideration given to the potential supportive role of arts and culture. This paper questions whether this might be a significant oversight and missed opportunity, given the persistence of poverty and the lessons learned from implementing the MDGs. The relevance of arts and culture, defined here as including both visual and performing arts, has been demonstrated by social science research and project evaluations, and is confirmed by research in the field of neuroscience. Although the evidence is sometimes inconclusive, the overwhelming indication given by a review of the literature is that this approach to knowledge and awareness building, and particularly that of educational theatre, belongs as an indispensible element of the SDG implementation methodology.

This paper begins by examining the evidence of how performing arts have contributed to people’s knowledge, health and well being (SDG #3). It goes on to show how arts and culture more generally can impact on social change initiatives, and then focuses in on some evidence from work in Africa regarding youth and HIV/AIDS and more broadly in relation to refugee and immigrant youth. The paper also examines evidence from work to implement community development strategies and explores the importance of music, dance and movement, before then turning to research from the neurosciences and marketing. It concludes by looking at the role of meaning in development, and offering some recommendations on how specifically educational theatre can best be utilized to enhance and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

Evidence from Participation in Performing Arts

There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that participation in arts activities can have a ‘transformative impact’ on peoples’ lives. This is especially so for young people and in the case of performing arts, which appear in general to be a more effective learning type among illiterate and e.g. dyslectic subjects. But research in this area is in an early stage, has had mixed results and still has left many gaps and questions unanswered. Evidence is uneven, and most programmes seeking health outcomes via performing arts have had less than high quality evaluations. Having said that, the overwhelming evidence to date (see Daykin, et al) suggests that the arts may be a possible missing link to successful, and sustainable, learning and motivation for behaviour change. Whether in combination or separately, music, dance and drama performances, in both classroom and community settings, have been shown to be useful in areas such as sexual health and HIV/AIDS, peer interaction and social skills, and substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, tobacco).

One review of 3670 research papers (Daykin, et al), of which 104 met their selection criteria, noted positive short-term changes in attitude and behaviour (social skills), and improved knowledge (HIV/AIDS, substance abuse). Although some results were inconclusive or ambiguous, and there is a need for more rigour in selection, definitions and analysis, research has determined that participation in educational theatre productions can contribute to both personal benefits (enhanced learning, skills, expression, communication) and community empowerment (reduced marginalization). This is especially the case with direct and active participation and involvement of youth and with a positive, well-prepared role for teachers and group leaders.

The broader social impact of arts and culture activities has been studied in relation to a range of SDG-relevant issues, including social cohesion, health, crime prevention, self esteem, cognitive skills and community mood. One study summed up the evidence as follows: “There is much anecdotal and otherwise informal evidence of positive impact(s) from participation in the arts and cultural activities but little data to support the hypotheses” (Marceau and Davison, p. 10). They listed the main reasons for lack of quality data as follows:

·     Poor and unprofessional design of research studies

·     Lack of consensus on definition of terms and concepts

·     Insufficient experience of evaluations in the arts field

·     Insufficient attention to (highly complex) underlying mechanisms

·     Objectives of cultural institutions are not related to social impact

·     Each area of social impact has its own distinct body of literature

·     Cost, timeframe and scale of intervention pose limitations.

In addition, the quality of evidence is constrained by efforts to seek a balance between the social change value and the intrinsic value of arts, whereby baseline data and longitudinal data are not part of the equation. Although many research gaps remain and there are few links across academic disciplines, emerging conclusions about best practices for maximising results have gained tentative support. These include a clear need for going beyond passive ‘receptive’ participation (e.g. watching) to active ‘creative’ participation (e.g. singing, dancing) in both arts and community initiatives (Marceau, p. 19). Also important, as will be discussed below, is the combination of inputs and factors. It appears that the ‘package’ of experiences is critical to achieving significant results, and that initiatives should not be stand-alone interventions but part of a broader policy package (Marceau, pp. 58-59).

Evidence from Youth and Community Development

Just like the global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that preceded them, the SDGs are inter-related to the extent that without achievements on one or more of the Goals the others can be highly constrained. SDG #3 on Health and Well-being is a good example of this because it is cross-cutting with poverty (#1), hunger (#2), quality education (#4), gender equality (#5), clean water and sanitation (#6), decent work (#8), reduced inequalities (#10), and others. Without health: kids can’t go to school; they grow up with less employment options; they perpetuate a cross-generational cycle of poverty; and it’s usually worse for girls than boys. Among the health targets under SGD#3 are the following:

·     Reduce maternal mortality

·     Reduce child (under 5) mortality

·     Reduce AIDS, TB, malaria and other tropical diseases

·     Reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases

·     Promote mental health and well being

·     Prevent substance abuse, including drugs, alcohol and tobacco

·     Reduce road traffic accident fatalities

·     Ensure access to reproductive health services.

In one way or another, most of these targets have been partially addressed, directly or indirectly, individually or collectively, by arts, educational theatre and community dialogue initiatives. A good example is the study (Mueller, et al) showing how art therapy with HIV-affected youth in South Africa has reduced the associated psychosocial problems. Evidence pointed to increased self-efficacy, resilience and self-esteem, along with raised insights into HIV. The art therapy was seen to contribute toward protection of psychological health, particularly in relation to the vulnerabilities of orphans who are faced daily with stigma and ostracism. There are many community programmes for orphans and vulnerable children in Southern Africa that emerged during the AIDS pandemic. They have a variable quality and results, and there is no systematic research to provide rigorous evidence of the benefits of art therapy. In this case, art activities, such as drawing and colouring in a classroom setting, were seen to have a positive impact and were recommended for scaling up.

Other research shows good examples of how creative expression workshops (Rousseau, et al) and both school- and community-based interventions (Tyrer and Fazel) have been effective with refugee and immigrant populations. A combination of visual art (painting, drawing), singing, reading, puppets and group activities among newcomer children in Canada reduced behavioural problems and increased self-esteem. Although it is hard to quantify complex transformational processes, Rouseau et al conclude that in relation to the adjustment process for children, particularly those from post-conflict and substance abuse settings, there is a potentially beneficial role for creative expression programmes. Tyrer and Fazel review the literature from among 2237 papers (36 met their selection criteria), where creative art techniques were involved either singularly or in combination with verbal processing among refugee youth. Generally, art is seen to offer a ‘non-stigmatizing’ service, and there is some support for multi-modal treatments. Unfortunately, the emphasis is largely on collecting data about symptoms while neglecting to assess the impact of differing types of art therapy, such as a distinction between visual and performing arts.

One notable example is the study of dance/movement therapy (DMT) for post-conflict torture victims and child soldiers from South Sudan and Sierra Leone (Harris). It provides a theoretical rationale for body movement-based approaches to psychosocial rehabilitation, with trans-cultural applicability. Creative artistic expression through DMT was shown to offer revitalizing support under certain circumstances, such as:

·     among children and youth;

·     when done collectively in a group;

·     when culturally appropriate; and

·     where there is community ownership.

In terms of psychotraumatology, re-experiencing past physical sensations surfaces intense emotions that are lodged in the body. The ‘language’ of emotive creative arts expression is seen to be useful in constructing meaning and identity where mere words fail. This indicates, according to Harris, that health and well being are predicated on the integral connection between mind and body, psyche and soma. He states that: dance and healing are essentially one and the same in Sudanese Dinka culture.

Moving from the individual to the collective, arts and culture projects are a common element within community development strategies, as pointed out in a study of experience in the United Kingdom (Newman, et al). Although there are myriad methodological challenges to evaluations and it is difficult to quantify any gains, the creative arts programme of the Royal National Theatre for socially excluded youth (combining art, theatre, drama, music, dance, video and film) showed evidence of impact in regards to crime, health, education and employment. Through the educational theatre interactions, there were ‘epiphany’ moments reported that go beyond mere learning; barriers were broken down and mutual trust built up; networks were established within fractured communities; and youth were shown to be happier, more confident, less involved in crime and more successful at school and seeking jobs. This indicates that more than just awareness raising was at work. Recent advances in the neurosciences offer some possible explanations, as discussed below.

Evidence from Neuroscience and Neuromarketing

Recent advances in neuroscience provide empirical evidence of the malleability of the human brain, or neuroplasticity. Studies have shown, for example, that ‘embodied’ cognition (i.e. learning involving motor activities) yields interesting results. It is not a new idea that mind and body are connected and that a united approach, or blended learning approach, can enhance cognitive performance (Moreau, 2015). By mixing in physical elements, such as dance, the brain seems to get the message better and hold it longer. Although a healthy scepticism is needed in relation to quick fixes promising big impacts, it is clear that blended learning is effective, especially with repetition and accumulation over time. Research in this area is ongoing: “Cognitive enhancement is a vast enterprise that has not yet been clearly defined, and finding optimal ways to train the brain is still a promising area of research” (Moreau, 2014).

Technological advances have enabled researchers to study the brain in real time. Experiments commonly use one of two techniques: fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging); and SST (Steady State Topography). In terms of educational theatre, neuromarketing research is useful in examining what triggers the brain and gets beyond the filtering system. Memory of brands in commercials, for example, has been shown to be triggered by playing a fundamental role in the storyline (Lindstrom, pp. 50-52). Mirror neurons in the brain cause people to imitate the behaviour of others, often unwittingly, and underpin the showing of empathy for others. Much of brain activity appears to be emotional rather than cognitive, as evidenced by pleasure, pain and reward centres in the orbitofrontal cortices and the presence of somatic markers. Thus, research indicates the potential importance of music, fear and humour for learning (Lindstrom, pp. 61, 131, 143). For example, anti-smoking campaigns based on fear alone have been shown to have terribly backfired (Lindstrom, pp. 81-82). It is also clearly an advantage to accompany warning messages with specific recommendations and a plan of action (Goldstein et al, p. 36).

What research also tells us is that people are motivated to make a contribution in life: “We want to feel as if our labor and lives matter in some way, even after death” (Ariely, p. 101). Relationships play a key role in what really matters to people. Social forces can be negative, sapping the energy out of any endeavour, and they can be positive, inspiring a difference beyond expectations (Ariely, p. 73). When information and messages are coming from people who are perceived as having the same values, customs and beliefs, there is a stronger correlation with trust and loyalty, and decisions are taken that just ‘feel’ right. This research also speaks to the proposition that art can reach deep into the brain where other techniques cannot. Sinek refers to the relationship between art and science:

“Why is it that things are not a balance of science and art, but always art before science? Perhaps it is a subtle clue our language-impaired limbic brain is sending us to help us see that the art of leading is about following your heart” (Sinek, 59).

Making a decision about social behaviour that feels right comes from the ancient (in evolutionary terms) limbic brain, while the ability to explain rationally why we take a certain decision comes from the more recently evolved neocortex. Numerous examples of participatory and improvisational workshop curriculum and techniques attest to the diversity of successful thematic areas (See Golding, 2014). It appears that the unique power of educational theatre lies in its uncanny ability, under certain circumstances, to reach all the relevant parts of the brain.

Indications for a Way Forward

This paper has examined the evidence and tentatively answered the question in the affirmative, whether educational theatre can have a positive impact on the global efforts to bring about behaviour change and meet the SDGs. The remaining question of what specifically works best under which circumstances is the subject of ongoing research, and can only be partly answered at present. Research shows that the visual arts and the performing arts have a proven ability to touch the deeper levels of people’s thinking, feeling and decision-making behaviour. We have also seen that music, dance, humour and stories can have a powerful impact both on the individual and at the community level, especially when linked to concrete policy proposals. Given the right combination of factors, a formula seems to be emerging for producing catalysts for SDG-related social change. Lending from the research of Hurst, the following five potential change levers can be identified:

·     Focus on ‘bright spots’ and small successes that warrant scaling up;

·     Embrace what ‘research and data’ point out as effective catalysts;

·     Introduce ‘disruptive technology’ such as targeted educational theatre;

·     Assist ‘public perception’ evolution toward successful approaches; and

·     Anchor positive change in ‘public policy’ reform and improvement (Hurst, pp. 227-231).

The type of musical educational theatre programme that might contribute most toward the SDGs would follow a flexible ‘glocalization’ approach. General global policy themes (e.g. food, health, lifestyle, water) should be incorporated into an audience participation format with imbedded local context, local needs, local language, local music, local solutions and local heroes. Bringing this to sufficient scale to make a difference in addressing global development challenges is problematic but not impossible. Research into the adoption of innovative technologies has shown that the tension between innovation and incumbency can be overcome if public education programmes address risk perceptions and build trust while highlighting the risks of inaction and appealing to inclusivity (Juma, 2016, pp. 307-309). Research into the power of networks and decentralized organization has shown that social values are more important than leadership (see Brafman and Beckstrom, pp. 201-207) in the exponential spread of new ideas. Although these research areas require more work and attention, their preliminary results clearly point to more effective ways to move forward.

What the mixed results of implementing the MDGs for 15 years have revealed is that the development community cannot carry on with business as usual and expect a sudden drastic change in behaviour and development results sufficient to achieve the scaling up needed for reaching the SDGs by 2030. Instead, in the words of Singularity University, it is time to apply exponential technologies to global challenges and use interface moments for building sustainable value creation into poverty reduction (See Diamandis and Kotler, 2014). It is time to reinvent the global partnership for development and equip it with a research and evaluation-based, constantly modernising toolkit and mindset. If the world is to meet its SDG targets, a new formula for success is required: one that uses the arts to touch peoples’ hearts while reaching their minds.

References

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