PERFORMANCE INFO >>

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NALAMDANA'S WORK >>

PRE-TESTING & EVALUATION
Nalamdana's work - play scripts and materials - are tested in the field,
among the community where they will be used. Nalamdana has evolved
their own unique theatre style that draws on the popular stage and film
traditions of Tamil Nadu. The audience is mixed - on an average about
750 men, women and children, ranging from ages four to seventy five,
attend a street play.

A typical Nalamdana show begins and ends with an evaluation. Weeks
before the play is enacted, a pre play survey records current knowledge
levels and misconceptions about the relevant health issue in the community.
Information about social taboos, cultural mores and habits is collated. This
survey also serves as a baseline for knowledge, attitudes and perceptions.
This information is also woven into the play: characters speak and dress
the way the community does; the story is about people like them, the
situations on stage mirror their daily lives and common domestic problems
are resolved - audience identification with the compelling on-stage drama
is complete. There is a post play interactive session - discussion, arguments,
questions and a post-play survey - and Nalamdana counsellors go back a
day or two later to complete the follow up and hold small group discussions
about the issues raised in the play.

Built on theories of strategic behavior change communication, Nalamdana's
messages and medium are carefully designed with input from and pre-tested
extensively among the intended audience. All products are also evaluated
for effectiveness in post intervention interviews and fine-tuned appropriately.
Weeks later, interviewers record the level of knowledge retention, action
taken by the community and the messages internalized.