Audience Engagement and Participatory Theatre: Measuring the Impact of Forum Theatre on Social Attitudes in South South Nigeria

This study measures the impact of forum theatre, a participatory performance methodology developed by Augusto Boal, on social attitudes among participants in South South Nigeria. While forum theatre has been extensively applied in conflict-affected and marginalised communities globally, empirical studies measuring its attitudinal impacts within Nigerian contexts remain scarce. The research investigates forum theatre interventions conducted by NGOs in Rivers and Delta states, focusing on attitudes related to gender-based violence, community governance, and environmental rights. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with pre-intervention, immediate post-intervention, and three-month follow-up surveys administered to intervention and control groups. Qualitative interview data complemented the longitudinal survey findings. The study finds that forum theatre participants demonstrate statistically significant positive changes in attitudes toward gender equality and civic engagement compared to control groups, with effects partially sustained at the three-month follow-up. The research identifies facilitator skill and cultural specificity of the dramatic scenarios as key mediating variables in intervention effectiveness. The study fills an empirical gap in the regional literature on applied theatre outcomes and concludes that forum theatre is a measurably effective but context-sensitive instrument for social attitude change. Keywords: forum theatre, participatory theatre, social attitudes, South South Nigeria, empirical impact.