Negotiating Design in University Applied Theatre Projects: The Case of Safe Cities (2015)

Abstract

This account engages the aesthetic possibilities in the choice and use of space in University of Zimbabwe applied theatre project, Safe Cities (2015). This paper argues that design has, for quite some time, been considered peripheral in applied theatre performances, thus creating challenges for designers who seek to foreground communicative efficacy on it. In most university projects, student-practitioners pay particular focus on the performative presentation of their productions, overlooking the influence of space on their performances. This article exposes the blind spots in the choice and use of Beit Hall to host the Safe Cities (2015) project. The article submits that beyond the efficacy of an applied theatre project, it is fundamentally important for applied theatre practitioners to pay particular attention and embed scenography, in its totality, into their presentations.