'Kupenga mujeri' (Prison chaos): the experiences of incarcerated women in Zimbabwean prisons

At the core of the field of applied theatre is the use of the arts to confront and address issues of marginalisation. Yet, the field marginalises the methods and approaches of Black and Global majorities. This research project addresses this problem by setting up popular participatory theatre (PPT) with incarcerated women in Zimbabwean prisons as a test case.
There is limited knowledge in research on the experiences of incarcerated women in Zimbabwean prisons. This in-depth study used indigenous approaches to bring to light those experiences, thereby contributing towards efforts to decolonise applied theatre. The research draws on PPT alongside affect to inform our understanding of the women’s experiences of engaging in PPT and Africana womanism to inform our understanding of how incarcerated women make sense of their incarceration experiences.
Rooted in participatory practice, this applied research project contributes to indigenous methodologies by engaging forty-seven incarcerated women in the co-design and implementation of the study. Through collaboration, they partook in indigenous traditional activities such as games, songs, storytelling, and performances. The analysis demonstrates how the incorporation of indigenous games offered a nuanced framework for the participants to explore and articulate the complexities of their experiences within Zimbabwean prisons, particularly concerning motherhood, autonomy, and familial obligations. Utilising these traditional games as a reflective tool, the women delved into the emotional intricacies of navigating societal expectations and gender norms within the prison environment.
The insights garnered from this study deepen our understanding of applied prison theatre, specifically within the framework of indigenous traditional practices and the unique context of carceral institutions. By spotlighting women's embodied sense-making processes, this research aligns with womanist principles, thereby broadening the scope of feminist criminology away from its traditional focus. Furthermore, the findings offer valuable insights for guiding participatory theatre practices in underexplored contexts. Overall, this thesis challenges conventional Western research paradigms by advocating for playful engagement through songs, games, and creative collaboration as a means to address prison chaos, known as kupenga mujeri.