Classical Drama and Conflict Transformation: A Professional Guide for Practitioners in North Central Nigeria

The use of classical drama in conflict transformation and peace education has a growing global evidence base, with the Theatre of War project and similar initiatives demonstrating that Greek and Roman dramatic texts can facilitate emotional processing, moral dialogue, and community cohesion in post-conflict settings. This study develops a professional guide for classical drama practitioners working in conflict transformation contexts in North Central Nigeria. A professional practice methodology was adopted, drawing on reviews of international practice (including Bryan Doerries' Theatre of War project and the Aquila Theatre programme), analysis of the specific conflict transformation needs of communities in Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna States through consultation with 25 peace practitioners and 15 community leaders, and facilitation of three pilot classical drama workshops using adapted texts from Aeschylus's Eumenides and Euripides's The Suppliant Women in conflict-affected communities in Barkin Ladi and Makurdi. Workshop evaluation data from 90 community participants assessed emotional, social, and ethical dimensions of engagement. Findings confirm that classical dramatic texts facilitate difficult conversations about justice, reconciliation, and communal responsibility that community members find harder to broach in unmediated dialogue. The proposed professional guide addresses practitioner competencies, community assessment protocols, text selection criteria, facilitation methodologies, and ethical obligations in conflict contexts. Its adoption by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue Nigeria and the Interfaith Mediation Centre Kaduna is recommended.

Keywords: classical drama, conflict transformation, peace education, North Central Nigeria, professional guide