ERASMUS+, Key action 1: training course
Venue: Ommen, Netherlands
Timeline of this training course:
- Online assignments,
- Seminar: 3—12 July 2024, Ommen, The Netherlands,
- Organization of local activities (in the Czech Republic): between July and September.
- Follow Up (Check-in Online meeting) – end of October 2024.
Czech team: 3 participants
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Synchro Foundation
Project report:
In July 2024, the Netherlands was not only immersed in the excitement of the Euro football championship, where the Dutch team made it to the semifinals, but also in the training course “Through the Colours of the Oppressed.” A total of 37 participants from 11 European countries gathered to learn more about the methodology of the Theatre of the Oppressed.
So, what exactly is the Theatre of the Oppressed? It is a set of theatrical methods developed in the 1970s by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal. These methods involve the audience in the theatrical performance, allowing any spectator to become an actor, whether knowingly (e.g., in Forum Theatre) or unknowingly (e.g., in Invisible Theatre). The aim of the Theatre of the Oppressed is not only to highlight social issues faced by individuals or groups but also to actively engage citizens and work together with the audience to find solutions to these issues.
At the beginning of the course, we had the opportunity to become acquainted with all forms of the Theatre of the Oppressed, as Image, Invisible, Newspaper, Legislative or Forum theatre. However, we ultimately focused on two techniques: Forum Theatre and Newspaper Theatre. Using these two methods, we created theatrical scenes that we then reflected upon and analyzed in detail.
But it wasn’t just about theatre. It was also about meeting many interesting people, learning to juggle in our free time, or cheering on the Dutch football team in the square of Ommen, together with the other residents of this picturesque town. On behalf of the entire Czech team, I would also like to thank the instructors, Gabi, Cristina, and Agnieszka, for the perfect organization of the course. They provided us with a wealth of tools and opportunities to work on future projects within our organizations. I would also like to thank EYCB, the sending organization, for giving us the opportunity to participate in such a fantastic project.
For the Czech team
Zuzana D.
