This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Make Art Stop AIDS (MASA) Film Project, an intervention set up by the Art and Global Health Center Africa (AGHCA) in collaboration with Dignitas International (DI). The MASA Film Project was implemented in 13 village communities in Zomba District, Malawi from November 2015 to December 2016.
Working with the community, its leadership and local healthcare centres, the project aims to tackle discrimination and to make HIV services more accessible. The actors from the film join each film screening “live” so that the project transitions into a live performance. The film and live performance are then followed with facilitated community discussions. During the screening and subsequent discussions, HIV testing and counselling are offered in a discreet location in situ. This is followed by community workshops, in which Community Action Plans (CAPs) are developed.

The evaluation comprised three components: a qualitative evaluation focused on the participants’ immediate reaction to the film and the perceived impact of the film and consequent discussions; analysis of descriptive screening and testing data; a medium-term (at least 2 months after the screening) follow-up evaluation to explore the implementation and sustainability of the CAPs.
The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by exploring 4 key areas including: the relevance of the intervention; unaddressed issues; education and awareness raising; perceived impact on the communities.
DI employed two separate teams for implementation and project evaluation, to ensure impartiality.

Reckson S. (2017). Make Art/Stop AIDS (MASA) Film Project Evaluation. Malawi: Dignitas International.