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Participation for Liberation or Incrimination

One of the assumptions made in applied theatre is that participation is a good thing. In this chapter, this assumption is supported by case studies of grassroots theatre practices in Rwanda, that aid in the reconciliation and justice phase post-genocide. The case studies illustrated how participation through theatre creates collaboration between perpetrators and survivors, forms associations that benefit the community economically, and stages the benefits of the participatory justice system used to try the perpetrators through the local gacaca courts. After initially supporting the benefits of grassroots theatre when viewed in isolation, the chapter then problematizes the assumption that participation is a good thing when relating the dramas to other participatory practices in Rwanda.