This toolkit and associated material, including a CD-ROM, introduce the reader to Forum Theatre as a tool for HIV and AIDS education. The toolkit is aimed at youth groups and amateur theatre groups in English-speaking Africa who wish to address HIV and AIDS-related issues in ways that are creative and engaging.

The contents include the following:

• Part I: Theatre as an educational tool
  This section provides a short background on theatre as a tool to raise awareness on different issues and gives special attention to the context of popular and contemporary theatre in English-speaking Africa. The section explains why theatre is a useful tool for HIV and AIDS education and introduces the concept of Forum Theatre, its historical background, and the main elements of any Forum Theatre play.



• Part II: Think before you play
  This section presents points one needs to keep in mind before setting out to create and perform a Forum Theatre play. It looks at the need to consider audience members, their culture(s), and the specific concerns they might have regarding HIV and AIDS. It offers useful tips on how to dramatise HIV- and AIDS-related issues while using language that is appropriate to a specific audience.



• Part III: Creating a Forum Theatre play
  This section looks at the nuts and bolts, the essential elements, of play making. It introduces the Forum Theatre actor and considers her/his role. The Joker, a unique and important character in Forum Theatre plays, is also discussed, as well as tips on how to facilitate a play, how to engage the audience, and how to behave on stage. It also offers some suggestions on how to cope with unexpected pitfalls that may arise.



• Part IV: Action! performance day
  This section presents ideas for welcoming and warming-up audiences and for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of an event after it is finished.



• Part V: Other helpful resources
  This section offers resources for further developing plays and reinforcing knowledge of the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.

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E-mail received from Jeanne Lawler on December 2 2006.