Theatre of Burkina Faso

During colonial times, there was no real emergence of a national theatre, with Burkinabè troupes mingling with those of the rest of Francophone West Africa.

[2] In the 1930s and 1940s, Burkinabè students studied at the William Ponty Normal School in Dakar, Senegal, and were greatly influenced by contemporary Western theatre.

[4] In the 1950s, following the appointment of Bernard Cornut-Gentil as High Commissioner of French West Africa, it was decided to develop cultural centres in the major cities of the federation, and to begin holding competitive drama festivals.

[6] Even the Christian church, previously reluctant to associate with theatre due to its animist roots, began to form troupes of its own to spread the liturgy.

[2] In 1978, Prosper Kampaoré founded the Atelier-Théâtre Burkinabè (ATB), a theatre group made up of volunteer actors who use their performances to educate the people of Burkina Faso.