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Réseau Arts Vivants (RAV)

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The Niger-based Réseau Arts Vivants (RAV) is a network of national and international organisations that aims to promote performing arts as a means of communication for development. The network uses theatre, puppets, song, dance, and other local performing arts to raise awareness about various issues such as democratisation, HIV/AIDS, girls' education, reproductive health, and early marriage. In an effort to fulfill RAV's mission to spark dialogue on the local level and empower the public, RAV also offers artists the possibility to develop "innovative content" and introduces them to potential partners and facilitators.
Communication Strategies

The network's strategy is to use performing arts - dance, puppetry, songs, and theatre - to sensitise people on different issues. In addition to promoting, coordinating, and using performing arts in communication for development, the network has extended its capacity by establishing regular working groups as creative forums for artists and artists' associations. The results of their efforts are presented to potential clients in an effort to convey a progressive image of the network. Still, as was the case when the network was launched, a large portion of its time is spent training local theatre groups in performing arts and interactive theatre and then touring with them in surrounding communities.

The Forum Theater technique is widely used. The coordinator, accompanied by one or two artists, is responsible for the training. The performances are the result of collective work where the local artists bring in their own experience and that of the community they come from. (The network has a list of all available theatre groups in Niger and of those that they have already trained.)

The network's activities include the following:

  • The members of the network meet quarterly and exchange ideas on issues relating to how to communicate about various themes, using theatre.
  • Artists and artists' associations meet monthly (and more often, if necessary) in the localities of the network in order to develop new content and awareness raising tools.
  • The coordinator organises and carries out training sessions, especially in the forum theatre technique. He is assisted by trained local artists.
  • The coordinator organises tours of the various productions. When doing so, he tries to work with local groups throughout Niger.
  • The coordinator looks for other partners and proposes projects related to their objectives.
  • The coordinator looks for funds in order for local artists to participate in festivals and training sessions outside of Niger (e.g. they took part in the Festival International de Théâtre pour le Développement - FITD - in Burkina Faso).
Development Issues

Democratisation, Decentralisation, Girls' Education, Health, Human Rights, HIV/AIDS, Youth.

Key Points

The network's objective is to promote performing arts as a means of communication for development. It started in 2001 as an informal exchange platform and became a Nigerien non-governmental organisation (NGO) in December 2003.

Partners

German Development Service (DED Niger) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Sources

Emails from Dominique Thaly and Tobias Dierks to the Communication Initiative on May 27 2005, July 31 2007, and August 8 2007; and DED website on February 12 2009.