Global Climate Change and the Impact of Harmattan on Theatre and Film Costumes in Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change is a phenomenon characterised by long-term temperature and weather shifts in a particular geographical location. Over the years, human activities have increased their severity on the global environment leading to global environmental degradation mostly caused by gas emitted from greenhouses through industrialisation and indiscriminate urban waste disposal systems. The consequence of this in the world is the harsh ecosystem and declining biodiversity. To address these challenges in the 21^st century, theatre/film practitioners among other climate change dissenting voices engaged literary and entertainment platforms to express their opinions on the devastating state of global climate and the quest for positive environmental transformation. Thus, live theatres and films were energised to produce productions reflecting the negative impact of climate change and provide solutions to them. To this effect, costumes worn by the actors become a very significant visual tool for disseminating the message to the audience. However, the management of theatre costumes is also affected by the changing climate that results in extreme weather events. Thus, this paper examines the vulnerability of some selected fabrics from the costume room of the Department of Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria to determine the impact of harmattan season. Temperature and wind velocity were used as signals of harmattan severity in the study area.  Findings revealed that dust and heat are the most prevalent hazards of costume during this season and coping strategies for managing them were recommended.