Forum Theater as a Participatory and Edutainment Theatre to Sensitize Farming Community and School Children on Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown (CKDu) in Sri Lanka

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of forum theatre as a participatory and edutainment theatre designed to sensitize farming communities and school children on chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) and its mitigation strategies. Four forum theatre programmes targeting students and three community programmes were conducted, after a social survey and key informant discussions, which aimed to identify gaps in information and communication, as well as the essential messages that needed to be conveyed. The potential causative factors for CKDu, including fluoride in drinking water in conjunction with water hardness, as well as the symptoms of the disease, prevalent myths, consequences of the misuse of agrochemicals, necessity for scientific understanding of the issue and mitigatory strategies were identified as the primary messages intended to be communicated through the drama. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses demonstrated a significant enhancement in the overall knowledge and attitudes of the participants following the performance. Evidence from photographs, videos, and observations indicated that the audience’s general attention and interest were consistently maintained throughout the forum theater performances. Both students and community members actively engaged as spect-actors when given the opportunity. Moreover, the forum theatre provided a platform for students and community members to critically analyze the issue while proposing practical solutions themselves. Thus, forum theatre proves to be an effective method for communicating health and agricultural messages, representing an innovative approach to participatory and educational-entertainment theatre aimed at disseminating information to farming communities, including school children.