From Award-Winning Community Theatre to International Recognition of Grassroots Health Interventions!
Tusole Theatre and Youth Friendly Association (TTYFA) was honoured to participate in a high-level community engagement activity at Simoonga Market in Livingstone District, during the visit of a United Kingdom Parliamentary Delegation, accompanied by representatives of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Ministry of Health and the Livingstone District Health Office.
The visit formed part of the UK Parliamentary Delegation’s mission to Zambia, held from 5–9 October 2026, to appreciate the impact of Global Fund-supported health interventions and community-led approaches to HIV prevention and access to essential health services.
During the engagement, Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble, the performing arts department under TTYFA, demonstrated the transformative power of Theatre for Development through interactive drama and cultural performances designed to educate, entertain and mobilise communities.
The performances communicated important messages on HIV prevention, HIV testing services, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), sexual and reproductive health, stigma reduction and access to adolescent- and youth-friendly health services.
Through relatable storytelling, humour, culturally appropriate messaging and community participation, the Ensemble demonstrated how theatre can break communication barriers, challenge misconceptions, encourage informed health-seeking behaviour and strengthen connections between communities and health facilities.
The engagement also showcased the important role of Simoonga Rural Health Post, which serves approximately 5,537 people across five community zones, and its collaboration with community volunteers, peer educators and TTYFA in extending health information and services to adolescents and young people.
🏆 AN AWARD-WINNING ENSEMBLE USING ART TO TRANSFORM LIVES
The participation of Tusole Theatre and Cultural Ensemble highlighted the strength of an artistic institution whose work extends beyond entertainment into community development.
With 13 collective and individual honours associated with the Ensemble and its leadership, comprising 7 Ngoma Awards, 5 Mosi-oa-Tunya Southern Awards and 1 National Heroes Hall of Fame Award, Tusole Theatre continues to demonstrate the value of combining artistic excellence with community service.
These achievements reflect years of dedication to cultural preservation, talent development, community education and social and behavioural change communication.
The Simoonga engagement provided an important opportunity to showcase this locally developed, award-winning Theatre for Development approach before international and national stakeholders.
🤝 STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE HEALTH IMPACT
The visit underscored the importance of collaboration between the Global Fund, Ministry of Health, UTH-HAP, Livingstone District Health Office, health facilities, community-based organisations and local communities in strengthening Zambia’s HIV response.
Through its Adolescent and Young People (AYP) programme, TTYFA continues to complement facility-based health services with community mobilisation, peer-led engagement, interactive drama and referral linkages, helping bring essential health information and services closer to young people.
For TTYFA, this engagement was more than an opportunity to perform before an international delegation. It was an opportunity to demonstrate that community theatre is a strategic public health communication tool capable of translating technical health information into meaningful community conversations and action.
Our message remains clear: Theatre is not merely entertainment. It is education, empowerment, advocacy and a catalyst for healthier communities.
🎭 TUSOLE THEATRE AND CULTURAL ENSEMBLE — PRESERVING CULTURE, NURTURING TALENT AND TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF PERFORMANCE.
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