Despite being a country rich in arts and culture, the theatre industry in the country is lacking significant improvement.
Perceptions of the art as unimportant does play a factor in lack of funding and neglect of necessary resources needed for the industry to develop.
UPNG Head of Division for Theatre Arts, Edith Monagi stated that theatre is important for community growth but is quite costly in terms of implementation.
“Theatre productions often require significant financial resources for venue, rental production costs, and paying artists and staff.”
“Not to mention, the availability of suitable theatre spaces and facilities can impact the quality and scale of productions.”
“Having access to quality theatre education and training programs may also be limited, particularly in underserved communities.”
“This can result in a lack of skilled theatre practitioners and a very small pool of talent for productions.”
Monagi also added that in some regions, censorship can limit artistic expression and retaining an audiences’ interest and attention is challenging, especially in a time of numerous entertainment options.