Nanzikambe

The organisation’s approach is based on extracting truth, so that truth breathes through the actors, whether they are professional actors, community members or volunteers in a training workshop. It has adapted the European theatre-making practise so that in discovering a theatrical language in the ensemble, it focuses on tempos, tensions, rhythms, sounds, tones, images, sensations, emotions manifested both publicly and privately, that make up the specific human experience in Malawi.

Malawian culture and practises are the focal point for the organisation’s forms of expression and are explored in rehearsal to discover what blocks exist in human communication, to explore how desires manifest themselves and how fears are hidden through the cycles and depths of discovering meaning through theatre.”

The organisation activities include:

• Training paralegals who work in Malawi's prisons, educating prisoners about the criminal justice system and their rights.
• Re-writing a training manual for paralegals working in prisons towards penal reform across Africa: integrating participatory drama-based learning methods.
• Training Concern Universal extension workers in the use of participatory techniques and integrating a human-rights based approach to development within communities.
• Training HIV/AIDS officers in creative participatory communication techniques. Working with street kids exploring child labour, abuse and exploitation through drama workshops.
• Devising theatre and developing theatre making skills for the purpose of HIV/AIDS messaging with disabled persons.
• Devising theatre with street kids.
• Devising theatre with the Hunger Project about the right to food.
• High-profile performances and debate for government officials, donor community, judiciary, civil society and church leaders and NGOs about the legal and political implications of the 2001/02 food crisis.
• A series of carefully targeted inter-active forum theatre training programmes for Women's Campaign International, for senior politicians, members of parliament, senior civil society figures looking at women's participation in politics, exploitation, gender-based violence, female dispossession, female economic empowerment, access to education.
• Devising theatre and developing theatre making skills for the purpose of HIV/AIDS messaging with disabled persons.

It aims to combine the skills of European and African performers to produce drama which is a fusion of both cultures. “Develop theatre as an art form that is unique to Malawi. It aims to increase the capacity of Malawi’s entertainment industry by providing employment, experience and training.” The organisation uses its work to increase the artistic links between the UK and Africa.