AMANI PEOPLES THEATRE (APT) was founded in December 1994 by a group of African Trainers in Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding and Community Development.

APT has over the years developed to become a leading Training Provider in Participatory methodologies especially forum theatre and the application of the same in Conflict Transformation, Community Development and Child Rehabilitation.

APT is heavily rooted in African Traditional models of communication and also informed by the theories and works of Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal.

APT is based in Nairobi, Kenya and runs most of the Donor Supported programs within the Country. APT also offers Consultancy Services and has experience working in different parts of the world.

Amani Peoples Theatre (APT) was founded in December 1994 by Michael Owiso, who was at the time, the Youth Coordinator at People for Peace in Africa, together with a number of young people who were at the time either university and/or college students.

APT began as a response to the wanton violence experienced during and after the advent of multi-party general elections in Kenya in 1992. The violent conflicts which rocked the country were variously referred to as "Ethnic Clashes" and "Land Clashes".
During this violent period, thousands of people lost their lives while others were displaced from the places they had called home for over two decades.  more on origin

Present
APT currently boasts of over 13 years experience in delivering services to communities and corporations on a variety of issues such as Conflict, Peace-building, Child Rehabilitation, Trauma Healing, Development and Conducting Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation of projects.

Based at Shalom House Nairobi, APT is made up of a salad of people with different skills, talents and professions ranging from Social workers to Teachers to Political Scientists to Doctors to ICT professionals to Microfinance consultants, to name but a few.

THE APT PROCESS: PARTICIPATORY THEATRE AS METHODOLOGY

In all its encounters with participants, APT uses a variety of Participatory methodologies with a heavy bias on participatory theatre.  Participatory Theatre offers an interactive forum through which people can dialogue on issues affecting them in a creative and redemptive manner.  The process acts as a mirror through which the participants can look at themselves in a relaxed yet introspective style. The space created offers the participants an opportunity to play around with ideas, trying them out to see if they fit and if not, to reflect on why they do not fit and formulate the best way forward. 
The process becomes more like a rehearsal of life and serves not only to initiate but also sustain dialogue on key issues affecting the community.

The Participatory Theatre process tries to develop this capacity of everyone to use that language: first with the objective of trying to discover what oppressions and challenges we are facing; and second, to create a space in which to rehearse ways and means of fighting against those oppressions; third, to extrapolate that into real life, so that we become free – which means we become subject and not object of our relationships with others.

Through the use of participatory theater we will create the inventive space in which each participant is free to think and say and do whichever they like. Theatre games and performances will provide the involvement and personal freedom necessary for experiencing . Participatory theatre approach as applied by APT develops personal techniques and skills necessary for the eventual skillful exploration of Child rehabilitation issues