Terms of Reference for Hiring a Professional Drama Group to Develop and Perform Interactive Community Role-Play on Nutrition, Hygiene and Early Childhood Education
This Terms of Reference (ToR) concerns the hiring of a professional drama group to develop, rehearse and perform an interactive role-play in nine (9) target villages of Salavan and Sekong Province.
- Project short description / project goal
Kindergarten and early childhood education are fundamental to advancing the development of rural communities of marginalized ethnic groups in Salavan and Sekong Province and contribute directly to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Delivering high-quality early childhood education programs integrated with nutrition and basic health services addresses structural barriers that ethnic minorities often face in accessing education.
- Purpose of the Assignment
GLAD is seeking a professional drama group (theatre company, performing arts group or team of experienced performers) to develop the script, rehearse the cast and deliver nine (9) live, interactive role-play performances entitled “Warm Family, Healthy Child”. The performances will bring key messages on nutrition, hygiene and early childhood education (ECE) to parents (especially mothers), caregivers, Village Education Development Committee (VEDC) members, village leaders and other community members.
The performances will be held in the following nine (9) target villages, one performance per village, with up to 120 participants expected per village:
- Toumlan District, Salavan Province:
- Dindak Village
- Tukluk Village
- Don Khayoung Village
- Samouy District, Salavan Province:
- Meo Pattana Village
- Ajung Yai Village
- Mao Kao Village
- Lahang Village
- Ta-Oi District, Salavan Province:
- Tahouak Village
- Dakchung District, Sekong Province:
- Dabong village
- Objectives of the Assignment
The objective of the drama group is to deliver engaging, culturally appropriate and interactive performances that:
- Raise awareness among parents (especially mothers) of the importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE) for child development;
- Provide knowledge on good hygiene practices to prevent illness;
- Promote understanding of proper nutrition for healthy child growth;
- Encourage behavior change within households that will spread to the wider community (multiplier effect) and strengthen community participation and ownership – including contributions to the kindergarten school lunch – for the sustainability of the project.
- Scope of work
The assignment will be conducted from Nov-Dec 2026 (total of 20 working days, including preparation, rehearsal, travel and performances).
The drama group will:
- Planning and Coordination:
- Review relevant project documents and key messages, and hold coordination meetings with GLAD staff;
- Agree with GLAD on the performance schedule, logistics and communication with village authorities and VEDCs of the eight target villages;
- Agree with GLAD on the final key messages to be included in the script.
- Script Development and Rehearsal:
- Develop the script for a 3-part continuous drama following the concept described in Section 5, for approval by the GLAD focal person before rehearsals begin;
- Adapt language, characters, humor and cultural context to the ethnic groups in each village, using local languages or interpreters where needed;
- Select and rehearse the cast and facilitator(s), and prepare props, costumes, promotional signs, banners and other stage materials.
- Performances in the Villages:
- Perform once in each of the nine (9) target villages (9 performance rounds in total), travelling with all cast, crew and equipment;
- Facilitate the interactive elements (questions, audience participation, open Q&A) before, during and after each performance;
- Work with GLAD staff to record the number of participants (women/men) and collect audience feedback at each performance.
- Reporting:
- Submit a final report summarizing the performances, number of participants, audience feedback, challenges and recommendations for future community awareness activities.
- Performance Concept and Content Requirements
Format: an interactive live performance in which villagers can ask and answer questions and take part, rather than only watching. The performance is a short drama in 3 continuous parts (10–15 minutes each) following one family so that the audience can follow the story.
Main characters:
- Father and Mother (a farming family);
- Young pre-school child (puppet or child actor);
- Kindergarten teacher;
- Community leader / VEC member;
- Comic character (a person who displays incorrect behaviors, used as a counter-example).
The drama group may propose improvements to the concept and timing in its technical proposal.
- Deliverables and Technical Requirements
The contractor will be responsible for delivering the following:
- Final script of the 3-part drama in Lao (with adaptations for local languages as needed), approved by the GLAD focal person;
- Nine (9) live interactive performances, one in each target village, as listed in Section 2;
- A complete cast and crew, including a facilitator/MC, actors for all characters (and child actor or puppet), and the technical support needed;
- All props, costumes, stage materials, promotional signs and banners (GLAD name, logo and donor acknowledgment according to GLAD branding guidelines);
- Portable sound equipment and other equipment suitable for outdoor/village settings without guaranteed electricity;
- Respectful, child-safe and culturally sensitive content and always conduct, in line with GLAD’s child protection requirements;
- Photos of each performance (and short video clips, if possible) for GLAD’s records, with consent from participants;
- Attendance and feedback records for each village, and a final report as described in Section 4.
- Qualifications and experience:
The drama group/team should meet the following requirements:
- Minimum five (5) years of professional experience in performing arts, theatre or drama production;
- Proven experience in developing scripts and performing community-based, interactive or educational (“edutainment”) drama, ideally on health, nutrition, education or other development topics;
- Proven experience in facilitating audience participation and Q&A with village audiences;
- Experience working in rural or ethnic-minority communities in Laos or similar contexts, and ability to use or work with local languages;
- Strong storytelling and creative skills, including humorous appropriate to the local culture;
- Ability to travel to remote villages in Toumlan, Samouy and Ta-Oi Districts, Salavan Province and Dakchung district, Sekong province;
- Budget and Payment
The financial proposal should cover all costs of the assignment, including performance and facilitation fees; per diem for facilitators and actors; travel costs; accommodation for facilitators and actors; and props and materials (promotional signs, banners and other stage props). The payment schedule will be agreed in the contract.
- Application Process
Interested drama groups are invited to submit:
- Cover letter and profile of the group / CVs of key team members highlighting relevant experience and qualifications;
- Names and contact details of two professional referees;
- Technical proposal (brief methodology, approach to the concept, cast composition and work plan/timeline);
- Financial proposal (itemized breakdown of fees and all related costs);
- Portfolio or links containing samples of recent performances (video or photos).
Applications should be submitted to the GLAD office or via email at: office@gladlaos.org. Deadline: 30 October 2026
