Nigerian theatre and development: mapping formal and informal spaces and audience participation through online data
PhD in Digital Humanities Research
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Background and context
The dynamism of theatre in Africa is widely acknowledged in the literature and its engagement with heritage, local cultures and urban/rural challenges. This includes a thriving formal theatre scene as well as touring and community theatre, which is seen as a mirror for society (Umenyilorah, 2014) but also as an opportunity for participation that does not require formal infrastructure or significant investment. Beyond the content of the plays (which often engage with participatory and societal issues), the contexts in which they take place are also essential and frequently overlooked. Oni et al. (2025) argue that the strength of theatre lies in its subtle and non-aggressive way of engaging, which permeates the local community and ignites the change/drive that can help tackle other issues. There is currently no comprehensive mapping of the theatre ecosystem in Nigeria, nor its national and international reach. This project will draw on diverse and currently fragmented data sources, including records from newspapers, local cultural institutions, online event listings and websites, and social media platforms where performances are increasingly promoted and discussed. The use of geographic data science can help understand the sector’s reach and dynamics in terms of both productions and audiences.
Area of research
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Project Code: 2627-ACBB4
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The project aims to address the intersection of research between the theatre ecosystem and its development and infrastructure in Nigeria. It addresses both formal and informal productions and venues, and the country's geography, with a high concentration of cultural productions in Lagos and Abuja, as well as the spread of community/rural performances in more regional and remote locations. Touring within Nigeria and beyond will also offer an opportunity to access best practices for wider engagement and international recognition.
Expected outcome
The project will deliver three key outcomes. (1) It will develop a novel multi-source spatial dataset about both formal and informal theatre activity and audience participation. (2) It will analyse theatre trends and patterns in relation to the human geography of Nigeria at multiple scales. The innovation includes harnessing hybrid data sources to study cultural production and participation in low-data environments. (3) Through practitioner engagement and case studies, it will uncover structural disparities in cultural access and propose strategies to strengthen regional cultural ecosystems and community engagement.
Suggested readings
Suggested readings
- Ballatore, A., & Candlin, F. (2022). A geography of UK museums. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12578
- Chin, T., & Swift, C. (2019). Mapping Urban Performance Culture: A Common Ground for Architecture and Theatre. In Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Virtual Place-Based Learning (pp. 83-98). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Oni, D C Onyekaba, F Ogungbe and M Adegbola (2025) Community Theatre, Local Culture and Urban Challenges in Nigeria in L.England and E.Sendra (eds). African Urban Creativity: Exploring Creative Economies Within and Beyond Cities, Routledge
- Plastow, J. (2023). African theatre and politics: The evolution of theatre in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe: A comparative study (Vol. 24). Brill.
- Pizzato, M. (2019). Mapping Global Theatre Histories. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Umenyilorah, C. U. (2014). Theatre as tool for development in Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(6), 34-40.
