ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses advantages and effectiveness of applying community theatre in community work with a specific sociocultural location, enabling powerless groups to self-define and to adjust resilience-enhancing interventions to their own perceptions. Sri Lanka is a multicultural and multiethnic country consisting of Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim ethnic groups. Sri Lanka also experienced natural disasters like tsunamis, landslides, and flooding in various time periods which accelerated the vulnerability among poor people in the country. Different forms of performing arts are used in Sri Lanka by various stakeholders in community empowerment activities. The mentioned aspects of possible change by community work can help social workers to take a stand in meeting the needs and aspirations of people and promoting human rights in order to create equal living conditions. The role of the social worker in this community work was multi-dimensional. In this way, the social worker played the role of mobilizer, organizer, facilitator, interpreter, and actor.
