arepp:Theatre for Life performances incorporate the current music, sayings, and social attitudes of the particular audience. Past shows have included the 45- to 60-minute-long "Check Your Mate", an adult production on HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, abuse, and rape; "Look before You Leap", a series of shows performed in high schools that focus on sexuality, HIV/AIDS, gender, and abuse; the 30- to 40-minute-long "About Us", a series of shows for 11- to 15-year-old students on HIV/AIDS, abuse, and life skills; and "No Monkey Business", which is intended to teach 6- to 10-year-olds about life skills and body awareness.

Performances are followed by a facilitated question-and-answer session with the cast, who are trained to respond to questions about sensitive issues. A supplementary facts and information leaflet, which is developed only after consultation with the relevant education, health, and social organisations in each community, is also provided.

arepp:Theatre for Life also designs and runs various workshops whose purpose is to build skill and experience in puppetry, drama, educational theatre, and issue training. The workshops provide educators and entertainers with teaching aids for use in their peer education and outreach programmes. Workshops have been conducted with adults (nurses, teachers, community health workers, counselors, and prisoners), youth, and children on the use of puppetry, theatre, and popular media in education. The length, focus, and outcome (possibly, a live performance) of these workshops vary according to the needs of the organisation requesting training. However, all of the workshops are designed to increase manual, visual, creative, and language skills. They also aim to give participants from different backgrounds the opportunity to create something together, while providing them with new means of self-expression and information-sharing.

Health, Children, Youth, Gender, HIV/AIDS.

This programme was initiated in 1987 as part of a research project on indigenous puppetry.