Vinay Prabhakar Minj
After a hard working day on my farm, I ran into a small crowd on my way home. Music accompanied by loud chatter emanated from the crowd. It seemed that they were guarding something precious. Soon, a group of teens joined the crowd and a stray dog followed to do the same. To my surprise, laughter erupted amongst the crowd, and then went completely silent. Out of curiosity, I joined the crowd.
I saw a man dressed in green, lying lifeless on the floor. Surrounding him were a few people dressed in brown, blue, yellow, orange, and green, they seemed to be crying. Perhaps, his life meant a lot to them. Perhaps, he was a dear friend, who kept them together in love and harmony.
The gathered crowd grieved. I felt the pain as well because I knew how it felt after a loss. I remembered an unfortunate incident that occurred to me in the past. But before I could delve into my memories, I noticed in the far corner that some people mischievously smiled. They were completely unaffected by what was happening. This sight angered me.
The above story seems intriguing, doesn’t it? This story was a way of introducing my topic for this article: theater for science communication.
In the story, the crying people represented nature (water, soil, air, flora, and fauna) who grieved the death of a tree (represented by the person lying on the ground). Nature valued the contributions of the tree. Those smiling people were the pollutants, happy that now they could have their way without anything stopping them.
The above story seems intriguing, doesn’t it? This story was a way of introducing my topic for this article: theater for science communication.
Though the subject of deforestation has been covered multiple times in the past in various science communication platforms and forums, we still need awareness on the topic due to concerns about climate change, especially in villages which still indulge in such practices.
But before I delve into what prompted me to talk about science communication via theater, I will mention my gradual attraction to this upcoming field.
A few years ago, I enrolled in an international online science communication program and later did an online internship at an Italian theater company involved in science communication. There I learned about the theater, the issues it addressed, and its methodologies for science communication. The topics there ranged from astronomy to robotics and medicine to physics.
The following year, I visited my maternal village in Jharkhand for a family function, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, to breathe in the fresh air. While the function was well organized, I was appalled to see the amount of plastic usage; plastic plates, spoons, and glasses lay strewn after use. There was no dedicated trash bin to dispose of garbage. Instead, it was burned to get rid of. I witnessed a stream of toxic black smoke ruin the clean rural air.
For me, this was painful. This method for disposing of the trash bothered me. But despite my anger, I could not blame the people because my cousin told me that the lack of awareness and an effective trash disposal system often forced villagers to indulge in such practices.
This affected me. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to change this disturbing situation. Or was I?
Upon returning to my city, the past event continued to haunt me. There were provisions for recycling in urban regions but not in my village. This inspired me to look for avenues which could help this situation.
I thought of utilizing science theater to aid my cause.
Though it seemed like a good idea, it lacked expertise as I am not a theater professional. So, as a first step, I am writing this article to make my case for using theater for science communication for the rural population.
But Why Science Theater?
The theater has been present in India since the ancient and medieval times. Several plays have been enacted based on folklore, mythology, and literature. Street plays, or nukkad-nataks remain the preferred mediums for garnering social awareness concerning present-day critical issues.
It is evident that science theater greatly helps to inform and educate the masses. It also inculcates a scientific temper, thereby giving the tools for logical thinking. Science theater bridges the gap between science and society.
Following are some variables that must be kept in mind while using science theater for communicating science:
Geographical: This relates to addressing region-specific concerns. India is a country where several demographic communities live across the breadth and width of the nation. Issues such as environmental, climatic, and natural affect their lives.
Psychographic: This relates to beliefs, values, traditions, attitudes, cognitive biases, lifestyles, and personality traits. These delve deeper into the psychological and behavioral dimensions of the audience.
Adherence to the above-stated variables is essential for increasing the likelihood of effective audience engagement and receptivity.
Beneficiaries
I am introducing the types of audiences, and the challenges they face which can be focused on as topic for science theater:
Farmers: Agriculture contributes nearly 16% to the Indian GDP, and roughly two-thirds of the Indian population depends on this sector. That is a lot. Farmers execute actions that benefit them in the short term, but there are some long-lasting consequences. For instance, the practice of stubble or parali burning is rampant across the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during October and November each year. While this is a quick way to get rid of waste crop residues, toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gets released into the air due to burning. This degrades the air quality of nearby cities, including the capital Delhi.
Rural audience: Nearly 68% of the Indian population resides in rural areas. Superstitious beliefs and unscientific practices have been seen to be given priority. This shows in the stigma attached to diagnosis of medical conditions related to epilepsy and mental health.
Indigenous people: Approximately 104 million Indians, or 8.6% consider themselves indigenous peoples or adivasi. The population is highly significant due to their proximity to nature and intimate knowledge about the environment.
Deforestation for unchecked mineral excavations are some of the complications affecting highly dense tribal regions. These actions degrade our environment, pushing us back in the fight against climate change. Hence, empowering them with scientific knowledge will make them better equipped to protect nature against rampant industrialization.
Further Challenges
Common science communication mediums such as books, research articles, social media, podcasts, movies, videos, and illustrations remain excellent for public engagement. Amongst these, theater can also be an important tool. Theatrical performances for science communication have the potential to flourish in India. However, it faces several challenges.
The biggest is awareness about science communication.
The next is a lack of grasp over the region-specific concerns of each rural area. Not having a better understanding is a roadblock for villagers to grapple with their problems. On top of this, the psychological and behavioral dimensions of the audience are much harder to reason with. Deeply held beliefs rooted in superstitions and other illogical claims severely plague urban and rural societies.
Another is the audience demographic. The younger generation can be more receptive to accepting new information rooted in science than the older generation. That is not to say that the latter does not care about science. However, care must be taken to suitably convey the required message, which must suit the needs of each individual.
Call To Action
Given the multitude of talent in the field of theater, it is apt for theater professionals to cater to the needs of the rural population. Understanding and addressing the region-specific concerns and psychographic thinking via science theater would be ideal.
Theater for science communication is an innovative and promising approach. I believe that when theatrical performances are engaging, attention and curiosity towards science will be naturally generated.
Edited by Neha Kumari
