The Atelier-Théâtre Burkinabé (ATB) is a
Burkinabé theatre group in the West African nation of
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
which practises "theatre for development".
Overview
The ATB was founded on June 18, 1978, by
Prosper Komparoré.
Inspired by his Komparoré's own heritage, and by the
forum theatre
Forum theatre is a type of theatre created by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal. It is one of the techniques under the umbrella term of Theatre of the Oppressed (TO). This relates to the engagement of spectators influencing and engaging with ...
technique of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian playwright
Augusto Boal
Augusto Boal (16 March 1931 – 2 May 2009) was a Brazilian theatre practitioner, drama theorist, and political activist. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical left popular education movemen ...
, the ATB focuses on the participation and creativity of the audience.
The audience are encouraged to take part in debates following the productions, where they critique the actors' performances and create different scenarios.
The theme of the productions generally revolve around economic, social, technical or cultural development and are known as "social theatre" or "theatre for development".
The group established a permanent headquarters in
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural, and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 2,415,266 in 2019. The city's n ...
in June 1991.
The ATB is made up of volunteer actors, and includes children, who are taught by adult actors.
Every year, the ATB produces about 10 plays in major cities, and approximately 30 forum theatre pieces in towns and villages.
In 1999, Komparoré opened a centre for theatrical arts at the ATB for the purpose of training animateurs and entrepreneurs.
They also collaborate with other theatre groups and organisations including the National Federation of Forum Theatre (FNTF).
See also
*
Theatre in Burkina Faso
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atelier-Theatre Burkinabe
1978 establishments in Upper Volta
Theatre of Burkina Faso
Theatre companies in Burkina Faso
Drama schools
Arts organizations established in 1978