Participatory Theatre Training Consultant at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Participatory Theatre Training Consultant

Location: Yola, Adamawa
Employment Type: Full Time
Reports to: Human Resource Manager
Duration: 1 year (Extension Based on Budget Availability)

Background

• To contribute to the mitigation of conflict over natural resources between Farmer and Herder communities in Adamawa state, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Search for Common Ground (Search) and Mercy Corps, with funding from the European Union, are implementing a project titled COMITAS (Contributing to the mitigation of conflict over natural resources between farmer and herder communities in Adamawa State).
• The consortium has designed a comprehensive and integrated approach that builds on the comparative strengths of each organization. IOM will build on its data collection experiences in north-east Nigeria and globally to implement a transhumance tracking tool to strengthen early warning systems. IOM will also build on its extensive policy engagements with the government of Nigeria, most notably with regards to the Disengagement, Disassociation, Reintegration, and Reconciliation program and action plan. Search will build on its extensive work on early warning and response, trust building through dialogue, and promoting positive perceptions through reliable information and peace messaging. Mercy Corps will capitalize on its trusted relationships with local stakeholders across Nigeria’s Middle Belt to continue to empower communities to prevent and respond to violence by strengthening collaboration on natural resource management.
• Search’s Peace Architecture model, a successful model across its programming in Nigeria, Niger, and Mali, establishes interconnected, multi-stakeholder, and community-inclusive dialogue-to-action platforms. In Nigeria, these platforms operate at three levels of engagement: the community, local government area, and state levels. Each platform comprises relevant stakeholders within each level of engagement, where they convene to discuss and jointly address peace and security challenges. Since the platforms are established at the community, local government, and state levels, they are able to both address and respond to needs within each level, as well as coordinate among and between each other to share information and develop holistic responses to peace and security challenges.
• These platforms are designed to support trust building, collective action, and mutual accountability among diverse stakeholders for lasting change. Search regularly trains members of these platforms on the Common Ground Approach, conflict mediation, transformative dialogue, and conflict prevention and other capacities. These platforms are effective in addressing transhumance-related conflicts, where solutions require the participation of diverse stakeholders.

Goals and Objectives

• Engage communities through participatory theatre:
  • To engage communities in Adamawa state on conflict resolution, Search will organise participatory theatre performances on farmer and herder relations and conflict through existing theatre groups. The performances will highlight similar conflict scenarios as those presented in the radio mini-series. After each performance, Search will facilitate discussion and reflection between the spectators to identify possible solutions to each conflict scenario. By reflecting on fictional rather than real life scenarios, community members are more likely to feel at ease to express their opinions and ideas openly and apply the identified solutions when they experience conflict in their own lives. All COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to during the implementation of this activity. 
  • During this project, Search will organise one participatory theatre performance in all selected ten communities in Adamawa State.

Methodology:

• Search is now looking to work with a consultant, whose expertise is in the performances and arts, and specifically in implementing Community Participatory Theatre events to carry out a 3 day training of a local theatre group within Adamawa State. 
• During the training, the consultant will co-designing 10 participatory theater events tailored along with the pre-identified cultural group. 
• The consultant will train the group in the roles of the Protagonist, Antagonist and Joker and how to perform them. The performances will promote peace and unity, highlighting inspiring stories, messages, and content, and showcasing diverse voices; infusing conflict sensitivity and the Common Ground Approach to resolving issues in conflict situations as those presented in the radio mini-series. 
• The participatory theatre performances will be designed to suit each of the communities they will be performed in for relatability to the target audience.
• After the 3 day training, the participatory theatre performances will be staged in the local dialects of the selected communities so that the messages and themes are relatable and accessible to every demographic of the communities and ultimately, rural communities that lack access to the internet, radio, and television. 

Deliverables:

• The consultant will co-design, develop and choreograph a 5-7 minute long participatory theatre performance play, peculiar to each of the selected communities (local dialect, culture, tradition and values).  
• The consultant will train and work closely with the cultural group.  All costs associated with the community performances will be the sole responsibility of Search. Only training costs should be incorporated into the final contract proposal. 
• The consultant will develop training manuals in consultation with Search, to accomplish formative scripts and other preparatory work. The consultant is expected to hold early and intensive meetings with Search, to understand project objectives. The consultant will provide illustrative examples of how the performances will be structured including high-level storyboards and scripts during the rehearsal phase. Final content decisions will be discussed between the consultant, Search and the cultural group. 
• The performances will convey core messages of the project and tell an emotionally engaging story through creative and visually captivating performances.
• The performances will mirror the communities’ situations through different perspectives, the challenges faced, and also their conflict coping and managing strategies. The stage plays should target community members, reflect real life situations unique to them and appeal to human emotions through beautiful and vivid performances and a captivating storyline.

Qualifications
Educational Background:

• University Degree or equivalent in the Arts and Film Production, Communications, Journalism, Media Studies or related fields. Master’s Degree is an added advantage.

Required Experience:

• At least 3 years’ experience producing and directing Community Participatory performances
• Experience engaging and working with audiences from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds;
• Demonstrated experience working on conflict issues and fragile environments; 
• Excellent knowledge of the North East conflict dynamics
• Relevant experience supporting and engaging the media, NGO or INGO.

Personal Attributes:

• Familiarity with location (i.e. Adamawa/North East) and knowledge of the local languages in the target state will be an added advantage (in this case Hausa).
• Strong command of English language and the Hausa Language, with excellent written, oral communication and interpersonal communication skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards;
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow to tight timeframes, multi-tasking, and flexibility.
• Strong leadership skills
• Attention to detail:  The ability to process detailed information effectively and consistently.
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve a shared goal
• New-Learning: The ability to absorb new information readily and to put it into practice effectively
• Adaptability: The ability to remain fully functional by adapting to changing circumstances (environment, procedures and people).

Financial:

• The consultant will be mobilized 100% upon satisfactory completion of all milestones.

Requirements (Submission)

• Each bidder must submit the following:
  • A technical proposal, describing how the participatory theatre objectives will be met Also a narrative “pitch” describing the basic performance concepts and illustrative examples of how each performance would be structured. 
  • Relevant community theatre work developed by a consultant. 
  • Budget/financial proposal including a description of costs for personnel (if applicable)
  • Creative portfolios of past work.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Technical proposal - Technical proposal based on specific criteria such as Clarity, comprehensiveness and coherence in presentation of technical proposal,
• Expertise in the subject matter - Review of the consultant’s portfolio and technical capabilities including creative storytelling, applying emotion and content that informs, inspires, and motivates audiences to participate. 
• Past experiences and demonstrated ability to do the job.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Application Closing Date
5:00 pm: 14th September, 2021.