Mr. Emmanuel Godwin Kalu

Biography

Emmanuel Godwin KALU is a certified theatre artist, educator, and university administrator who currently serves as a Graduate Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, where he is also completing his Master of Arts degree. His instructional expertise spans theatre technology, festival and carnival arts, play/production directing, and various dimensions of applied theatre, including Theatre for Development, Educational Theatre, Children’s Theatre, and Puppet Theatre.
By bridging technical production precision with creative expression, he equips students with the practical skills and directorial insights necessary to thrive in the contemporary creative arts industry.
My research and creative practice utilize Theatre for Development (TfD) as a dynamic methodology for community engagement and behavioral change. Through participatory performance structures, he designs direct field interventions that address critical social issues, facilitating dialogue and fostering civic awareness within host communities. By linking traditional performance arts with modern technical and educational frameworks, his work demonstrates a sustained commitment to using theatre as a vital tool for social development and cultural transformation.
Beyond the classroom, Kalu contributes significantly to both university governance and the creative arts industry through key administrative and consulting roles. Within the institution, he serves as the Departmental Deputy Examination Officer, ensuring academic integrity and operational efficiency. Externally, he leverages his cultural expertise as a professional carnival consultant and festival coordinator, driving large-scale public performance initiatives and dedication to student mentorship, institutional leadership, and civic engagement.

Research Interests

My research interests are situated at the intersection of Applied Theatre, Development Communication, and public health, with a specific focus on utilizing Theatre for Development (TfD) as a participatory framework for behavioral modification. I am deeply engaged in exploring how indigenous performance methodologies, dialogic communication, and community-led interventions can be leveraged to interrogate social crises within tertiary educational settings. Guided by Paulo Freire’s Theory of Conscientization and Augusto Boal’s concept of the “spect-actor,” my work seeks to transform conventional, top-down public information campaigns into immersive, localized cultural spaces that empower subaltern or youth student groups to critically analyze their socio-political realities and co-create actionable communal solutions.
Concurrently, my research investigates the socio-psychological, environmental, and interpersonal predictors driving the growing epidemic of illicit substance use among undergraduate populations in public universities. By examining contemporary stressors such as academic anxiety, peer pressure, and institutional systemic vulnerabilities, I aim to implement and evaluate evidence-based, site-specific theatrical interventions that target entrenched behavioral dynamics. My current methodological interest employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to scientifically measure behavioral adjustments, specifically assessing constructs like refusal self-efficacy derived from Albert Bandura’s *Social Cognitive Theory*. Through this dual commitment to rigorous qualitative ethnography and structured empirical evaluation, my scholarly pursuit validates the functional role of the creative artist as a social diagnostician capable of bridging academic theory with impactful public health policy formulation.

Qualifications

Membership of Professional Bodies

Paper Presentation - Local

Course Teaching

Selected Publications