Young & Emerging Leaders Forum Spotlight: Binji Seidu Zakaria

YELF is jointly hosted by Creative Generation (CG) and the International Teaching Artist Collaborative (ITAC) to bring together and recognize young practitioners from across the field fostering a collaborative learning environment based in critical reflection intended to interrogate, mutually share and learn, and radically reimagine future possibilities for one’s work.

Binji Seidu Zakaria is a Theatre for Development (TfD) Facilitator/Community Theatre Artist from and based in Ghana, precisely the Northern region of Ghana. An Advocate and Activist for Minority Groups in Ghana. Binji is the Founder/CEO of Nasanba Community Theatre. He has 8 years of rural community work experience. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Arts and Culture and Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Education, Winneba, and specialized in Theatre for Development (TfD) in each program.

How do you personally define leadership?

Leadership is the act been able to manage, control or lead of a group of people towards or to achieve a common or targeted goal or aim.

  1. Humility - being a leader not a boss

  2. Commitment

  3. Honesty

  4. Openness

  5. The will to do power

  6. Inclusivity

  7. Mutual respect for everybody's ideas and understanding of issues.

  8. Surrounded by positive vibes.

  9. The ability to persuade or influence decisions etc.

What is a driving question you have?

  1. How do we bridge the gap between rural communities and the international communities in terms of education and sanitation related issues?

  2. How do I promote rural community education and sanitation issues as an artist from the rural community?

  3. How do I leave a mark as a rural community artist in my community, Africa and the globe at large?

What titles/terms do you like to use to describe your work?

  1. Rural community theatre advocacy and activism

  2. Rural community Theatre journalism

  3. Theatre for Development Initiatives

  4. As an activist I am at the forefront of championing rural community theatre in the field of education and sanitation for the betterment of my immediate community, the world and humanity.

  5. Teaching Artist because I educate, teach, create awareness and conscientise rural communities and schools through Theatre for Development performances and initiatives.

  6. Arts Administrator because I coordinate and work with rural communities by administering different art forms to communicate a message to my audience.

What is something (in your own work) you are particularly proud of and why?

Rural Community Centered. Because it puts smiles, joy, and happiness on faces of rural dwellers. It offers them the opportunity to witness Theatre and together we deal with or address some challenges of their communities.

What makes you excited to work at the intersection of the fields of Arts, Cultural & Education?

Because communities easily relate and identity themselves with the issue at hand. They communicate directly to the target audience.

What is one change you would like to see made in our field?

To be a Centre for Rural Community Theatre Journalism in Africa by shifting international artists attention to rural communities. To promote rural community theatre advocacy, activism, and research.

If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?

I would have changed the face of Theatre for Development or Community Theatre Journalism in Ghana. Because that would have given me the muscles to be able to shoulder all my planned rural community initiatives, collaborations and partnership with other African and international communities

You can find out more about Binji on LinkedIn.