Childhood dreams of theatre now a reality

Childhood dreams of theatre now a reality

Growing up in Papua New Guinea Dr Jackie Kauli knew she wanted a career in drama.

She grew up in Port Moresby and then moved to Arawa, now known as the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. She spent the rest of her early education in her home province in Rabual, East New Britian Province.

“I have always loved performance, being someone different, playing make believe. It never occurred to me to do anything else, not even the prospect of not gaining employment deterred me from studying drama,” she says.

Now she’s achieved her dream and is a lecturer in drama in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology where she recently completed her PhD.

Dr Kauli is heading to Auckland to be a keynote speaker at the Performance of Hope, an International Applied Theatre Symposium being held at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work from 9-11 November 2015.

She will share her story and how she uses drama to tackle social issues in the villages back in Papua New Guinea.

In her speech, “Theatre in Conversations: processes for hope?, Dr Kauli will discuss how the idea of creating change in PNG is increasingly met with cynicism as the countries limited economic growth is not reflected in people’s development.

She will also outline how the “Theatre in Conversations” project is assisting development in local villages, particularly with marginalised groups including women.

“My PhD research focused on creating community theatre performances that could genuinely work with communities and create change in PNG,” she says.

“My country has faced and continues to face many social problems and despite my Government’s, and many international government and non-government agencies’, efforts to bring about change, the lives of people, especially women and children, continue to be deeply affected.”

“An indication of this challenge is the high prevalence of violence towards women in PNG. I used this pressing issue in my country as content to create a theatre for development practice.”

Dr Kauli is continuing her PhD research in her frequent trips back to PNG.

“I want to collect positive stories of survivors, communities and men that have gone against sorcery related crimes in PNG and develop community performances to perform. I want to know how communities can move from fear to standing together to defend the life of women.”
Socerey related crimes are when in most cases women are accused of witch craft and people, often people she knows, viciously attack women in the most brutal manner.

She is also working with the Centre for Social and Creative Media at the University of Goroka in a United Nations Development Programme. Through the Centre for Social and Creative Media she has been commissioned to use creative practices that address violence towards women.

”It is an important project in that, not only are we using these case studies as a national campaign to show the innovative, creative and positive ways these individuals are protecting women and children, but it is also an acknowledgement of the capability and capacity of creative practice.”

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