In the courtyard of a psychiatric ward in Mali’s capital, patients take part in a traditional form of theater that is used as a way to work through problemsBAMAKO, Mali -- In the courtyard of a psychiatric ward in Mali’s capital, a small group of patients acts out scenes of a village dispute to the beat of a djembe, a traditional West African drum.
The group is taking part in koteba, a traditional form of theater practiced by Mali's largest ethnic group, the Bambara.
“Patients who attend koteba leave the hospital more quickly than those who refuse to attend the theater session,” he said.
Adama Bagayoko, 67, the director of the visiting theater troupe, said the weekly performances at Point G are a rare space where patients feel heard and respected.
Bagayoko was part of a troupe that brought koteba to the Point G psychiatric ward in 1983, as mental health workers looked for a way to use Mali’s cultural practices to help people receiving psychiatric care.

Mali's traditional theater gives psychiatric patients the stage