Theatre of the Opressed
Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) is a set of theatrical techniques that the Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal has been elaborating throughout his life, initially in Brazil and later in Europe. When the dictatorship started in Brasil in 1964, Boal began to search for theatre forms to make people aware of the situation and create changes in their everyday life reality. Boal's techniques use theatre as means of promoting social and political change. In the Theatre of the Oppressed, the audience becomes active, as "spect-actors" they explore, show, analyse and transform the reality in which they are living.
In this training we will explore creative and profound TO techniques which can give insight into the nature of some life challenges and even offer solutions to problems or conflicts we all deal with – in a family, in relationships, at school, in a community...
Through first-hand experiences of Forum Theatre and other theatrical excercises, we will learn how this methodology can be used as a human rights education tool; to empower marginalised youth, especially those at risk of social exclusion and LGBTQIA+ groups.
In this training we will explore creative and profound TO techniques which can give insight into the nature of some life challenges and even offer solutions to problems or conflicts we all deal with – in a family, in relationships, at school, in a community...
Through first-hand experiences of Forum Theatre and other theatrical excercises, we will learn how this methodology can be used as a human rights education tool; to empower marginalised youth, especially those at risk of social exclusion and LGBTQIA+ groups.
What are we going to do?
- Learn about the theory and the background of TO and its various techniques, mainly forum theatre
- Acquire practical skills by experimenting with different TO techniques, such as newspaper theatre, image theatre and forum theatre
- Learn how to conduct a TO workshop, lead games and exercises from the TO arsenal, and run a forum theatre session
- Discuss and explore how workshops of TO could be implemented in everyday work with marginalised / LGBTQAI+ youth groups
- Explore how the methodology of Theatre of the Oppressed can be used as a form of participatory communication for social change
THE TRAINING consists of two 8 - day long residential trainings with a compulsory practice in between.
First phase will focus on providing theoretical knowledge and practical skills on TO and non-formal education. Participants will learn to lead basic TO games and exercises and to build a forum theatre play in all the aspects: arriving as a group, building trust and getting the body and mind ready for theatre work, dramaturgy (choosing the story), forum theatre structure, acting, performing in front of the audience, pulling the spect-actors into action. The goal of this phase is to enable participants to facilitate theatre activities with their groups back home.
1st phase of the training will be held from September 28th - October 7th (2021) in Kysak, Slovakia
Interphase will be the time for participants to put into practice what they have learned. They will run a workshop in their support organisation, creating a short forum theatre scene or facilitate a workshop, i.e. applying the skills they have acquired. Participants will also analyse the situation and resources in their organisations to see in what ways TO can be implemented as a part of the activities of their organisation.
Second phase will have as the objective to reinforce the learning process through
the reflection of the participants’ experience during the practice phase, in order to clarify issues that might have arisen and to provide further theoretical and practical input for participants. We will deepen the knowledge of forum theatre and add more techniques to our TO repertoire. We will also perform a forum theatre performance, which we built together during the trainings, in front of an audience in public space.
This second training will also provide space for networking, joint action planning and discussion on possible new projects.
2nd phase of the training is planned to be held from November 23rd until the 2nd of December of 2021 (venue to be confirmed)
TRAINERS
|
|
Asier Carrasco, Facilitator, Spain
Asier Carrasco is the founder of Colectivo MosaiQ, an LGBTQI+ organisation focused on community development and youth work. Asier is a facilitator, trainer and consultant in International Youth Work, Inclusion and Diversity and Human Rights Education, amongst other things. Asier is an experienced youth worker and community educator with over 20 years of local, regional, national and international experience behind them.
Beatriz Herrero, TO trainer, Spain
Beatriz Herrero is a trainer and educator working in non formal education and has been using participatory methodologies
since 1998. In Ecuador Beatriz cofounded the Cultural Corporation Juego en escena, which is dedicated to do Theater of the oppressed training, Forum theatre plays and training in storytelling and “Contradiscurso”.
Beatriz has experience in working as an educator and trainer in the Erasmus+ project of Theatre of the Oppressed. She is working for different social institutions in which she was developing participatory theatre projects as a tool of empowering people and promoting a critical analysis of social issues.
She is currently developing theater projects with Movimiento por la Paz (Madrid).
Magoa Hanke, TO trainer, Austria
Magoa Hanke is a queer*feminist artist and academic, deeply in love with theory, the body, arts and
activism. In Magoa's performances and workshops s*he is blending theatre, dance and drag to address topics
of anti-discrimination. Exploring gender and sexuality as a starting point, Magoa is following an
intersectional approach, rooted in a Gender Studies background aswell as years of opening spaces,
where people with and without experience of flight or migration can start a dialogue.
Magoa loves forum theatre and shadow theatre for their artistic richness and inherent possibilities
for people who do not like to, or are not used to be in the spotlight, to speak up and to be heard.
Magoa is working with youth groups, schools, NGOs, universities and communities. And s*he
especcially enjoys working in adult education – bringing activist theatre and dance pedagogy to
teachers, youth workers, social workers and NGOs.
Asier Carrasco is the founder of Colectivo MosaiQ, an LGBTQI+ organisation focused on community development and youth work. Asier is a facilitator, trainer and consultant in International Youth Work, Inclusion and Diversity and Human Rights Education, amongst other things. Asier is an experienced youth worker and community educator with over 20 years of local, regional, national and international experience behind them.
Beatriz Herrero, TO trainer, Spain
Beatriz Herrero is a trainer and educator working in non formal education and has been using participatory methodologies
since 1998. In Ecuador Beatriz cofounded the Cultural Corporation Juego en escena, which is dedicated to do Theater of the oppressed training, Forum theatre plays and training in storytelling and “Contradiscurso”.
Beatriz has experience in working as an educator and trainer in the Erasmus+ project of Theatre of the Oppressed. She is working for different social institutions in which she was developing participatory theatre projects as a tool of empowering people and promoting a critical analysis of social issues.
She is currently developing theater projects with Movimiento por la Paz (Madrid).
Magoa Hanke, TO trainer, Austria
Magoa Hanke is a queer*feminist artist and academic, deeply in love with theory, the body, arts and
activism. In Magoa's performances and workshops s*he is blending theatre, dance and drag to address topics
of anti-discrimination. Exploring gender and sexuality as a starting point, Magoa is following an
intersectional approach, rooted in a Gender Studies background aswell as years of opening spaces,
where people with and without experience of flight or migration can start a dialogue.
Magoa loves forum theatre and shadow theatre for their artistic richness and inherent possibilities
for people who do not like to, or are not used to be in the spotlight, to speak up and to be heard.
Magoa is working with youth groups, schools, NGOs, universities and communities. And s*he
especcially enjoys working in adult education – bringing activist theatre and dance pedagogy to
teachers, youth workers, social workers and NGOs.