Founder of the Street Project Foundation, Mrs. Rita Ezenwa-Okoro has called on the government to adopt Legislative Theatre to enhance governance and increase youths’ engagement.
Ezenwa–Okoro made the call during a Demo Reset program held in the Kosofe Local Government Area, recently.
Giving a background to the founding of she said: “After identifying a gap in our ARTvocacy Movement Model, which encourages youth to use their creative talents to speak out against injustice, the Street Project Team was selected for a capacity-building program called Demo Reset, designed by Extituto, a Colombian organization, which used Legislative Theatre, a unique method for empowering communities to engage in policy-making through storytelling and performance.
“We discovered it during our training program, it was created by a Brazilian theatre maker called BOAL who developed was is called Theatre of the Oppressed. Legislative Theatre is a component of this art form.”
Further, Ezenwa-Okoro explained that Legislative Theatre harnesses the power of participatory theatre to develop innovative policy solutions.
As part of the Demo Reset program, the Street Project team organized a Youth Legislative Theatre Laboratory between February 3rd and 5th, 2025 in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
She noted: “This pioneering initiative brought together youths, policymakers, artists, and international collaborators to address pressing issues such as unemployment, political thuggery, and social inequality.
Participants identified unemployment as the most critical challenge, with a staggering 90%-95% consensus among the youths.
“Many shared personal stories of frustration and lost opportunities, revealing how joblessness has driven some into crime and political violence.”
Through guided exercises and improvisational role-play, attendees created a powerful dramatic piece that illuminated the root causes and consequences of unemployment.
She continued: “Legislative Theatre is not just about performance; it is therapeutic and a catalyst for advocacy.
“It shows that storytelling can inspire systemic change, enabling youth to debate policies and explore new perspectives. This builds a foundation for real and impactful policy change.”
Ezenwa-Okoro urged politicians and policymakers to embrace this transformative approach to enhance governance and foster youth engagement.
She commended local officials for their active participation in the Legislative Theatre Laboratory, among whom were: Prince Kehinde Saliu, Councilor for Orile-Oworo Ward B; Mr. Philip Iwok, Kosofe Peoples’ Assembly Coordinator for YIAGA Africa; Ms. Victoria Oletu, Impact and Policy Lead at ElectHer; and Prince Kehinde Omotehinse, President of the Kosofe Youth Movement.
In her contribution, Melissa Vélez from the Demo Reset Team at Extituto, Colombia, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Our organization in collaboration with Street Project Foundation is dedicated to strengthening democracy in the Global South through citizen participation.”
Melliza Velez noted: “Collaborating with the Street Project Foundation since April 2024 has deepened our understanding of deliberative democracy and community engagement.”
Vélez added: “We have been working together to understand how deliberative democracy functions, what elements it should include, and how community work can fit into these citizen participation scenarios. We are very happy to be here in Nigeria, sharing our assets and learning from you.”
As the momentum for change builds, Rita Ezenwa-Okoro stated: “We are not merely discussing change; we are taking co-creative action. This is a unique opportunity to integrate Legislative Theatre into the ARTvocacy movement model for social change.”
