Investigation of the Role of Theatre in Promoting Peace and Reconciliation in Taraba State

Inter-ethnic and religious conflicts in Taraba State create social fractures that performance-based peacebuilding interventions can address through shared creative experience and empathy cultivation. This study investigated the role of theatre in promoting peace and reconciliation between conflicting communities in Jalingo and Wukari Local Government Areas, Taraba State, North East Nigeria. A qualitative case study design was employed, documenting three theatre-based peacebuilding projects implemented by NGOs in collaboration with community performance groups. Data were collected through interviews with 20 project participants, 10 community leaders, and 5 project facilitators, and supplemented by field observations at two performance events. Results revealed that participants from previously conflicting ethnic groups who co-created theatrical performances reported improved inter-group relationships and reduced stereotyping after participation. Community leaders who attended final performances described the shared theatrical experience as facilitating public dialogue that political channels had failed to enable. Challenges included persistent security concerns limiting participation, short project timelines, and the difficulty of sustaining peacebuilding gains after projects ended. The study concludes that theatre can meaningfully contribute to peacebuilding in Taraba State when implemented with long-term commitment and community ownership. Recommendations include government collaboration with theatre-based peacebuilding NGOs, multi-year programme funding, training of community theatre facilitators in conflict-sensitive performance, and evaluation frameworks tracking post-performance community relations.

Keywords: theatre, peacebuilding, reconciliation, Taraba State, applied theatre