CONFLICT THE DOOR OF DEVELOPMENT.

Conflict : The door of development. Deepak Bhuyan. Participatory theatre treats -˜conflict’ as the door of development. According to the basic principal of participatory theatre it is said that -˜’we live in a world of differences – of ideology, belief system, ethnicity , social and cultural values. All these differences will not be banished, because these are the factors which enrich our lives. But on the other hand these differences can become the base of disputes to widespread war depending on two or more people or parties believe that the other is a hindrance of getting developed as they want. Thus the conflict can destroy the relationship , peaceful bondage of communities and countries. Conflict management based on cooperation can lead to social progress and change. Participatory theatre runs from the above mentioned field of merits and demerits of our socio-cultural, political and economical conflicts. In short the participatory theatre is an approach through which the actors interact with the public directly on a real problem or conflict. Through the direct participation of public the conflict is analyzed in a -˜-˜common ground approach” where the deep understanding promotes effective solution to resolve the conflict. The aims and objectives of participatory theatre is to transform conflict in to a peaceful understanding. It is true that all social changes stem from conflict, because conflict is the base of progress , dialogue , better understanding of each other and can be treated as greater trust and intimacy. Supporting the positive inner strength of conflict the participatory theatre practitioners say that -˜’ without conflict our society would not evolve, injustice would never be called in to question, and relation would remain frozen.” Having analyzed the aspects of conflict as depicted on behalf of participatory theatre it should be recalled that theatre always deals with conflict. Conflict is the critical ingredient of theatrical performances. Theatre creates a place for society to gather, witness their own conflicts, and reflect upon possible solutions. But in case of participatory theatre it is observed that it deals directly with the concerned people or parties exterminating the stage curtain in between actors and spectators . Sometimes the spectators are encouraged to become actor in course of the theatre, through which a pragmatic solution of the concerned conflict is expected. Conflict reflects the fears , hopes , values , and deep desire of people. In general the possible outcome of conflict is either victory or defeat which comes through the adversarial approach. It can be replaced by collaborative approach through which beneficial solution to all parties can be made possible. The participatory theatre practitioners believe that dealing with conflict constructively is a skill that can be developed, and participatory theatre is a powerful tool in developing that skill. Participatory theatre is marked as more effective in comparison to other theatres, because it gives spectator the opportunity to witness real people’s encounter on the conflict and digest the truth as motivated by the play for peaceful solution of all parties. It offers opportunity to actively reflect together by using the stage as a place of exploring new ways of living and to express new vision of the future. The participatory approach provides an opportunity for the public to look hook and corner of the concerned conflict or problem. Through this way of understanding and practical analysis public become capable of improving situations and transform the conflict for a peaceful tomorrow’s reality. It is observed that participatory theatre is making bold platform in Latin America, Europe, Great Britain, Middle East, Africa and Asia. In India thirty theatre teams were working throughout the country under Jana Sanskritic Centre. Performances of these theatres are based on state insecurity, social stratification, cast issues and religious tensions. Most important factor of the participatory theater is to be understood that it carries both benefits and a distinct set of risk that involve both the actors and public. So a proper planning for managing these risks are to be sought in advance. In such cases director is the soul of the performance who motivate the public and control the chaos if surfaced. All these steps are to be taken in a meekly way of understanding and extending proper value to all concerned.

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