Integrating Social Media into Theatre for Community Development among Theatre Arts Students of Plateau State University, Bokkos, Nigeria

Background: The emergence of social media and its application in Theatre for Development practice has expanded the traditional participatory, face-to-face approach of engaging the rural communities in reboot dialogues around issues affecting the communities to communicative landscape which offers new approach that amplifies TfD’s interventions across the globe. Social media platforms now serve as accessible tools for disseminating information, advocacy, mobilisation, and community engagement. Objective: The study assessed the potency of integrating social media into theatre for development practice by the students of Theatre Arts department, Plateau State University, Bokkoss in 2023 and 2024 in the state promoting sustainable community development in Mangu and Jos East Local Government Areas, Plateau State, Nigeria. Method: Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Data were collected from 384 respondents with the use of questionnaire, while analysis was done using descriptive statistic and presented using pie, bar chats, and frequency table. The participants were selected from Mangu and Jos East Local Government Areas in the state. The study was situated within the Participatory Culture and User Agency Theory and Theory of Affective Economies. Results: The result revealed that Facebook and WhatsApp were effective in mobilising the community members and that the respondents received messages on the various social media platforms that increased their levels of awareness about political consciousness, good governance, community responsibility in solving local problems and the judicious use/misuse of power. Conclusion: The study concluded that the integration of social media platforms into the Theatre for Development has significantly improved the mobilisation and conscientisation of the community members on some of the issues affecting them and proffering solutions to the problems as well as solving them using local resources and expertise. Unique Contribution: This study has offered new approach in Theatre for Development practice by using social media in the practice in mobilising and conscientising community members on some of the issues affecting and encouraging them to solve the problems through communal efforts while drawing government’s attention to the plights. Key Recommendation: Relevant government ministries and agencies, particularly those responsible for health, education, and community development should adopt and integrate social media in TfD as a complementary method for grassroots mobilisation and policy implementation.