Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

This paper examines the propensity for African nations to rely on Western theoretical frameworks in conceptualising and evaluating their artistic productions, despite efforts to develop indigenous theories. The phenomenon is particularly evident in the realms of live performance and filmmaking, where African creators and scholars often fall back on Western paradigms to legitimise their work. Drawing upon the phenomenological perspectives of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, this study employs a qualitative methodology to analyze Sam Ukala's play, Iredi War, with a view to interrogating the phenomenological dimensions of folkism as a viable theoretical model for African cultural production. The research reveals that Africanness is rooted in the indigenous aesthetic codes embedded in folklore, while phenomenology provides a framework for understanding the essential characteristics of folkism and its potential for transcultural applicability. The study argues that a theory, no matter how well-grounded, risks losing its critical purchase if it is not continually engaged in scholarly discourses. The paper concludes that folkism, as a phenomenological category, offers a valid theoretical framework for understanding African cultural production; and its features can be leveraged to promote a more nuanced understanding of African traditions and their global relevance. 

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