Empirical Study of the Relationship Between Youth Theatre Participation and Civic Engagement in Kaduna State

Youth theatre participation may develop civic competencies including public speaking, collaborative problem-solving, and community engagement, and empirically characterising this relationship in Kaduna State provides evidence for arts-based civic education programming. This study empirically examined the relationship between youth theatre participation and civic engagement indicators among youth aged 15 to 25 in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, and Zaria Local Government Areas, Kaduna State. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 320 youth (160 theatre participants and 160 matched non-participants). Civic engagement was measured using a validated scale assessing community meeting attendance, volunteerism, electoral awareness, and willingness to engage in community problem-solving. Logistic regression was applied with controls for education level, household income, and gender. Theatre participants showed significantly higher civic engagement scores (p < 0.001). Community problem-solving willingness showed the largest theatre-related improvement (OR = 3.18). The relationship was strongest among youth who had participated in specifically civic-themed theatre productions. Youth from inter-ethnic performance groups showed particularly high civic engagement, suggesting value in cross-community theatre participation. Female theatre participants showed significantly higher civic engagement gains than males. The study provides empirical evidence for youth theatre as a civic development tool in Kaduna and recommends integrating civic themes into youth theatre programmes, supporting inter-ethnic youth theatre groups, and adopting civic engagement indicators in youth theatre programme evaluations. Keywords: youth theatre, civic engagement, Kaduna State, civic education, community participation