Mobile theater group AfroLebenPlus - Theater of Life

Art has the power to bring people together in a way that is hardly possible through verbal interaction alone. Art is also increasingly being used in the context of prevention and social work - e.g. in the forms of acting, making music, painting or photography - with drama in particular proving to be a very successful method when working with migrant communities in Germany.

Back in 2008, eight members of AfroLebenPlus, the nationwide network of HIV-positive migrants in Germany, decided to offer HIV prevention in the form of improvisational theater. Many members were already familiar with this form of cooperation from their countries of origin, such as Malawi, Uganda and Ghana.

Art has the power to bring people together

For the members of AfroLebenPlus, it is important that their messages speak to people in a direct and familiar way - in the places where they live: at Afro markets, street festivals or in church congregations.

The actors involved are already active HIV multipliers and are active in many federal states. As activists and people with a migration background, they are familiar with the realities of life for immigrants in Germany. They know their problems and worries, but also their strengths and abilities, not just from stories, but from their own experience.

This makes it easier for the actors to deal with taboo subjects such as HIV in a sensitive, culturally specific and confident manner. An AfroLebenPlus representative puts it in a nutshell: "Our communities are considered difficult to reach. However, it makes a big difference how and by whom people are approached. As part of the community, we have better access to them, and a suitable method such as theater opens doors for us."

The actors know the problems from their own experience

As HIV-positive people, the actors often experience stigma and multiple discrimination. They therefore know how difficult it is to talk about these experiences or to defend themselves against them in specific situations. With the help of body movements, symbolism and metaphors, theater can enable actors to deal with issues related to trauma.

The actors do not yet speak perfect German, but they do speak many other languages such as Swahili, Amharic, French, English, Arabic or Lingala. In this way, they also reach people whose mother tongue is not German and motivate others who still speak little German to get involved too. At the same time, they send out a signal that people like them are unique.

The scenarios for the plays are developed by the actors themselves from their life stories and personal experiences. Which stories are performed on location depends on the occasion for which the group is invited. In "refugee churches", for example, scenes about life in an asylum home or about HIV coercion tests are re-enacted. AfroLebenPlus is also involved in prevention work on the street, where it looks after an information table and distributes information material and condoms.

For the mobile education theater group, the word "mobile" has many meanings.

The actors:

• have immigrated from different countries
• come from different cities or live in different cities
• are always on the road with their preventive messages

The mobile awareness group can be booked for any city and for various events for a small expense allowance.

Further information:

Tanja Gangarova, tanja.gangarova@dah.aidshilfe.de

Alphonsine Bakambamba, alphonsine.bakambamba@dah.aidshilfe.de