Solomon theatre group praised for anti-violence work

Transcript

A presentation at the Festival of Pacific Arts in Guam has underlined the impact a Solomon Islands theatre group has had in combatting violence.

Stages of Change has been using theatre to reduce violence against women and children and raise the status of women.  

Indira Moala has more.

What began as a two-year project in 2013 funded by the European Union has resulted in the establishment of a social enterprise that is continuing to make waves across the Pacific. Stages of Change took on 14 women from across the Solomons; most had never acted before, and gave them the skills to fight domestic violence, through theatre. Ingrid Leary, a director from the British Council who founded the project, says Stages of Change has gained a life of its own.

INGRID LEARY: "Part of that is because of the impact and the life it's achieved and part of it is because the women have themselves, formed a social enterprise in Honiara. Which means that they now have legal status and they get commissioned from within the country as well as externally to perform. So it's great to see that kind of longevity and sustainability. So yeah, they've had a lot of international exposure and it's really snowballed and gained a life of it's own."

The group's Leader, Rhian Gatu, presented a documentary on the group's work at the International Sustainable Arts Forum on Monday in Guam. Just this week she was selected out of hundreds of applicants worldwide and awarded one of seven global British Council Encounters awards, for her personal leadership as a change-maker. Ms Gatu says the impact of the project has been profound.

RHIAN GATU: "It changes not other women too but ourselves too. Like, when we go into this theatre and we go and do this training it changes some of our mindsets. And it starts with us. Like we have to do this with our own kids, so we started it at home."

Ms Gatu says the theatre performances have provided a different way to approach the subject in front of the men in her country.

RHIAN GATU: "We're not pointing fingers to the men. When the men reacted to this, they see it as a much better way than any other awareness that they have heard or seen. And we got a response from them that it is a very effective way and something has happened to some of them and they have to tell us that it's making a difference in their life."

In the documentary, actresses Susan Galutia and Rona Marita explain how the show depicts violence as a cultural norm in Pacific communities.

"We don't blame the men only, it's like see the men and the women as a whole and it's like general."

"When all the ladies come in their traditional outfits, it shows that this issue is not just located in one culture. It's in all cultures."

Ingrid Leary says the show is breaking cultural barriers for women.

INGRID LEARY: "What we are proud of is that there's anecdotal evidence that taboo's have been smashed to a certain degree in terms of having women stand up in public spaces in the Solomon Islands and speak publicly, having men listen to them and ask them some questions during the Q&A and look comfortable about that and look almost surprised that women have the capacity to perform those kind of functions."

Stages Of Change has been credited by the government and the EU with helping to pass the Family Protection Act in Solomon Islands in 2014.