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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Patronage, the State and Ideology in Zambian Theatre
Author:Crehan, Stewart
Year:1990
Periodical:Journal of Southern African Studies
Volume:16
Issue:2
Period:June
Pages:290-306
Language:English
Geographic term:Zimbabwe
Subjects:cultural policy
theatre
Politics and Government
Architecture and the Arts
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/2637079
Abstract:The author focuses on certain trends in Zambian theatre and, in particular, on the negative, deadening influence of benevolent State patronage. He first looks at the colonial legacy of theatre as part of white settler culture and at President Kaunda's role as a supporter of socially critical drama while at the same time confirming his paradoxical image as an omnipotent patriarch sadly hamstrung by an entourage of unimaginative mediocrities. The praise song, in which a chief or king is eulogised, and the traditional moral tale, in which a clear message is defined through a straightforward linear narrative, permeate Zambian drama and as such limit its ideology and form. Popular theatre in its various forms and modes thrives in Zambia. However, a revolutionary synthesis of traditional and modern, popular and elitist forms has not yet occurred, for reasons possibly traceable to Zambia's own history, and to the nature of its ruling party, UNIP. The last years have seen a spread of Zambian popular theatre, sponsored by aid agencies and NGOs, and by parastatal institutions such as banks and insurance companies. Notes, ref.
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