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- Claribel G. •
- Global Seminar in Ghana •
- Theatre Major
“That
is the type of theatre that I want to do. That sort of
holistic, inclusive, interdisciplinary theatre.”
—Claribel G. |
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As a theatre major, Claribel traveled to Ghana for a May session Global Seminar course on music and culture. She had always been interested in West Africa, and used the chance to experience the culture for a month in order to decide if she wanted to spend a semester or year there later in her academic career.
During the course, students met artists and dancers, and learned about their work. Claribel found the hands-on approach to learning to be a challenge, but she learned that it’s important to try activities instead of being afraid to fail. “We had to learn how to dance and drum. The most obvious skill that I learned was how to pick things up by just watching and doing. They didn’t break it down at all, they just taught by doing it, and they expected us to learn. So I learned how to not pick apart, not ask, “How do you do it?” But just watch them and mimic. It was a good learning tool.”
Claribel hopes to apply her theater degree by making theatre for social change, especially in the movement to educate people about AIDS and HIV prevention. From her experience, she learned how theatre functions in Ghanaian society, and hopes to apply that model to her own work. “I learned a lot about the community interaction with the arts. It’s a holistic art form, so it’s not just acting, it’s acting, theatre, art, and music. It incorporates everything, which was good for my studies here, and for what I want to do in the future. That is the type of theatre that I want to do. That sort of holistic, inclusive, interdisciplinary theatre.”
A month may seem like a short amount of time to experience a new country and culture. Claribel found that the days were so packed with activities that a month seemed like much longer. She had the opportunity to travel within Ghana, to meet people, and to learn a little Twi (one of Ghana’s many languages). Traveling to Ghana, she said, helped her see that countries and people are versatile. “Study abroad will give you a broader understanding of how to communicate, even with people in your own neighborhood, and of how to understand that we’re all human. You understand that even though we don’t speak the same language, and we don’t have the same customs, we’re similar. Everybody needs to know that.”
Last modified on November 21, 2008 |