About

This study explores how arts-based methods, particularly participatory theatre, and video, can be used to interrogate and identify entrenched issues of corruption by drawing on a recently recovered 35-year-old Malawian political play entitled ""They Call it Africa"". The study uses the play, with its decolonial themes, to foster a hyper-localized understanding of Modern corruption by enhancing critical media literacy. The study is grounded in the twenty-first-century frameworks of resurgent and insurgent decolonization, as outlined by Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2018) to examine black identity, colonial constraints on African development, and the role of African humanities in epistemic freedom. 

Corruption remains a significant barrier to social and economic progress in developing countries, despite policies emphasizing youth involvement in promoting accountability. Building media and information literacy (McDougall and Rega 2022) can empower young people to identify and tackle issues of corruption. The study uses an ethnographic action research approach to involve the community in the translation, production, and distribution of theatre and film. Through collaborative reinterpretation, local engagement, and community-driven dissemination, the project aims to spark critical conversations about corruption while enabling young people to use creative storytelling as a tool for critical media literacy and identification of social issues. 

The research contributes to scholarship on art-based approaches for building media literacy to tackle corruption and influence power dynamics. It will inform policies in the Global South and support Malawi’s development goals under the Malawi 2063 Plan and Agenda 2030. The study adds to existing knowledge by showing how participatory visual methods can elevate youth perspectives, question prevailing narratives, and promote the role of youth in driving social change.