Dominican Republic: Street Theatre Programme
Duration: January 2013 to January 2016
Regions/countries: Dominican Republic
Minorities: Dominico-Haitians
What is this programme about?
To use street theatre and community consultations to increase Dominico-Haitian citizens’ participation in public life and access to services, such as health and education. This project will empower Dominico-Haitian people to speak out for their rights, whilst challenging discriminatory views in the wider community.
Read about our previous Street Threatre programme in Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Kenya and Rwanda and watch a film about it here.
Why are we delivering this programme?
Many Haitians migrated to the Dominican Republic to seek work around 60 years ago. Today, Haitian immigrants and their descendants face discrimination in all areas of life. Haitians are the poorest members of Dominican society and earn 60 per cent less than average Dominicans. They often do not have access to proper nutrition or adequate health care due to poor pay, their illegal status and fear of deportation.
What are we doing?
- Train community leaders in the use of theatre as a social tool and community education.
- Create and perform plays to be performed by community members.
- Raise awareness of the services available to members of Dominico-Haitian communities, e.g. through “surgeries” and promotional materials.
- Local and regional media and advocacy campaigns – involving Dominico-Haitian community leaders.
- Produce and distribute a film about the project.
Who is running it with us?
Our Dominican partner MUDHA challenges both gender discrimination and racism in the Dominican Republic by empowering women, providing them with access to basic social services. It has built schools and health clinics in bateyes (settlements) and established day care and adult education programs. MUDHA also challenges laws and practices that maintain women and children of Haitian descent in conditions of poverty.
Find out more
- Statelessness in the Dominican Republic – a collections of interviews, a documentary and legal research, to describe the extremely difficult situation facing Dominicans of Haitian Descent.
- Events: screenings of a film produced under this programme ‘Our Lives in Transit’ in London, UK (31 March 2016) and Madrid, Spain (5 April 2016). View the trailer here.
This programme is funded by the European Union. This content is the sole responsibility of Minority Rights Group International and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
