Request for Proposal: Community Theatre Group at Girl Effect

What You’ll Do
The community theatre group will be responsible for the entire end-to-end creation and packaging of the theatre forum performance. This includes:

• Collaborative Briefing: Participating in briefing and workshop sessions with Girl Effect's Creative, Social Behavioural Change (SBC), and youth and Safeguarding staff.
• Creative Development: Developing and scripting the theatre concept and presentation based on Girl Effect’s formative research studies, including creating protagonists, antagonists, allies, the story world, and scenarios.
• Casting and Talent Acquisition: Identifying and recruiting actors, performers, and any other necessary talent for the production. Please note: the cast should also include Migori theatre talent in cast and crew positions.
• Rehearsal Management: Coordinating and overseeing all rehearsals to ensure the performance is well-prepared and meets artistic and thematic objectives.
• Logistics and Performance Management: Arranging for appropriate venues for rehearsals and performances, including technical requirements like stage, production design, costume, and sound.
• Audience Engagement: Developing pre-performance activities and multi-disciplinary performances (including music and dance) to attract audiences to the venue.
• Interactive Warm-up: Creating interactive warm-up activities for the audience.
• Performance and Intervention: Performing the scripted theatre piece, leading audience participation and interventions, performing alternative scenarios, and working towards the final version of the theatre piece.
• Learnings from these performances will be documented and integrated into future content developed with Girl Effect. The theatre group will travel to various locations, engaging with adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), parents, community-based organizations, local leaders, and health stakeholders.

Scope of Work

The selected Theatre Group will: 

• Conceptualize and develop a theatre script based on community insights, project themes, and local cultural contexts.
• Cast, rehearse, and prepare the forum theatre performance, with inclusion of some cast and crew members from Migori (to be co-ordinated by Girl Effect and a Migori community-based organisation)
• Perform the theatre piece in up to eight community locations within Migori County.
• Travel to each community site for performances.
• Engage community members during and after each performance to facilitate dialogue and reflections.

Deliverables

• A culturally sensitive and engaging forum theatre script aligned with the themes around reducing Child marriage and Community involvement in empowerment for vulnerable Adolescent girls
• Rehearsal plan and attendance records.
• Successful performances in up to eight community locations.
• Facilitated community dialogues following each performance.
• Brief reports summarizing each performance’s community feedback, challenges, and successes.
• Final project report that includes lessons learned and recommendations.

Skills and Experience

The Theatre Group should demonstrate: 

• Proven experience in forum theatre methodologies, development, participation, and execution.
• Familiarity with community engagement and social change initiatives, preferably in theatre-for-change and community engagement and interventions for social change initiatives, including but not limited to gender and youth issues, community health (e.g., HIV/AIDS, maternal health), environmental concerns, conflict resolution, human rights, poverty, education, and disability inclusion.
• Ability to adapt content to local cultural and linguistic contexts.
• Capacity to work collaboratively with project staff, community members, and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven experience coordinating community-based projects focused on GBV, FGM, child marriage prevention, or similar social issues
• Strong background in community mobilization, facilitation, and stakeholder relationship management.
• Knowledge of diverse theatre techniques, creation, performance, and audience participation, with experience performing to diverse Kenyan audiences.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse community members, leaders, schools, parents, and adolescents.
• Commitment to safeguarding, gender equality, and child protection principles.
• Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity about the cultures within which Girl Effect operates.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Swahili, with an ability to cut through complexity and communicate effectively to multi-disciplinary audiences.
• Commitment to realizing girls' potential and to the Girl Effect's vision and values.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications studies and related fields.
• 3+ years of experience.