Fieldwork spotlight – Arts‑based research workshop on creativity and communication
An arts‑based research workshop on creativity and communication was held at the Walukuba Community Centre in Jinja, Uganda, on 14 April 2024 as part of an ongoing series of community engagements.
Facilitated by Juliet Nantambi and Sekasanvu Vicent, the workshop was themed around 'witchcraft tales'.
The session brought together about 30 participants, mainly women, young men and a few young girls, with only one adult man in attendance. The atmosphere was lively and participants were willing to engage deeply with the day’s theme.
Warm-up games
The workshop began with energising games designed to build trust, focus and group cohesion.
Activities such as the Imaginary Ball, Heads Up–Heads Down, and Drama Freeze encouraged movement, alertness, creativity and collaboration. They helped participants to feel comfortable expressing themselves before moving into more sensitive discussions.
Witchcraft stories
Participants were then divided into three groups based on age and gender and introduced to the theme of witchcraft. While the topic initially created visible discomfort, facilitators explained its relevance to previous discussions around harmful practices and poor communication within communities.
Each group shared witchcraft stories they had heard or experienced and selected one narrative to present through storytelling.
A brief introduction to effective storytelling techniques—voice projection, expression, body movement, audience engagement, and ownership of the story—helped improve the quality of the presentations. The stories shared revealed strong beliefs linking witchcraft to jealousy, wealth, power, fear and social conflict.
Discussion
An open discussion followed, exploring whether witchcraft is real, how it is believed to operate, why people engage in it, and whether it affects communication. Views varied from strong belief to skepticism, but many agreed that accusations or fear of witchcraft can damage trust, create hatred and disrupt family and community relationships.
Gender roles in witchcraft practices were also debated, with participants acknowledging that both men and women engage in it for different reasons.
Conclusion
The session concluded with participants expressing appreciation for the safe, respectful space created to discuss such a sensitive issue.
They agreed that whether believed or not, witchcraft narratives significantly influence communication, relationships, and social cohesion, and that arts‑based storytelling is a powerful tool for opening dialogue on complex cultural issues.