Dramaturgical Skills and Creative Process: Insights from Three Theatremakers

Taiwo Afolabi presented Decolonizing Dramaturgy: Dramaturgical Skills and Creative Process: Insights from Three Theatremakers livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 10 November 2021.

This episode explores dramaturgical skills in the creative process. Dramaturgical skills are transferable in the creative process, hence diving into what these skills are and ways in which we can further explore them for effective collaboration between a playwright, a director, and a dramaturge. What skills are essential for any dramatugical undertaking?

About the Series
A five-episode series featuring award-winning playwrights, dramaturgs, and directors from Africa on conversations around dramaturgical processes. The series engages theatremakers on questions about what it means to be in process with each other. The series will unsettle centers of powers and capture unconventional narratives, experiences, and realities. The ultimate goal is to disrupt the single-story narrative of Africa theatre practice as substandard and constantly borrowing from the West. Each episode invites a playwright, dramaturge, and director to speak on a specific topic related to their creative and dramaturgical processes. For accessibility, French language translation is available for some series and American Sign Language interpretation for all series.

Guests
Tiendrebéogo Charles Nomwendé, (Burkina Faso)
Tiendrebéogo Charles Nomwendé graduated from the Centre de formation et de recherche en arts vivants (CFRAV), Ouagadougou (BF). He then worked as an assistant to Ildevert MEDA, an illustrious Burkinabé director. Eager to increase his theatrical experience, Charles Nomwendé continues at the Accademia Teatro Dimitri in Switzerland for the 2015/16 academic year in a master's degree in physical theater. Over the years, he has performed in several theatrical shows in Burkina Faso, Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Switzerland. Always eager to deepen his knowledge in this field, he chose to pursue a post-master's experience in the Czech Republic.

Karishma Bhagani, (Uganda/US)
Karishma Bhagani, from Mombasa, Kenya, is pursuing a PhD in theater and performance studies at Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. She graduated from New York University (NYU) with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a bachelor’s degree in history. In her capacities as a director, producer, and scholar of the performing arts, Karishma is keen on contributing to the development of a sustainable creative economy within East Africa. Karishma currently serves as the associate artistic director for the Tebere Arts Foundation in Uganda and associate producing director for the Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative in Kenya. She is also a fellow at the Georgetown Lab for Global Performance and Politics. While at NYU, Karishma was the recipient of the Richard Hull Fellowship, the Bevya Rosten Memorial Award, the CTED Development Impact Fellowship, and the Presidents’ Service Award. She was also the Tisch Bachelor’s Representative at NYU’s All-University Commencement ceremony.