Description
“Theatre of the oppressed” is a project which involves homeless people, physically disabled, people with psychiatric diagnosis and other excluded persons in preparation and performance of a theatre play. During the drama-therapeutic process, thanks to the new theatrical method – Theatre of the oppressed, they will be able to reflect their specific situation and later on, actively involve public into it. Project is also opportunity for long therm unempleyd and people who cannot find job for different reasons (disabled, homeless, etc.) to learn better skills and communicate to large public themes which are usually overlooked. Outputs are 16 theatre performances of new play and also mutual exchange of knowhow between Bratislava and Reykjavík. Primary target group are homeless people, secondary one is general public. The partnership's achievement will be mainly know-how and cultural exchange and benefit will be mutual.
Summary of project results
Homelessness is an issue of most of European towns and the problem is still not resolved at all. Public administration does only partial steps which don’t solve reasons of homelessnes but only eliminate the most apparent exposures. The project’s goal was to help homeless people through involving them in meaningful activities which would improve their position by self-fulfilling activities and increasing of their self-confidence. It involves homeless people, physically disabled, people with psychiatric diagnosis and other excluded persons in preparation and performances of a theatre plays. The objective of the project, improving of social situation of excluded homeless people, was reached by drama-therapeutic process, thanks to the new theatrical method – Theatre of the oppressed, when actors reflect their specific situation and later on, actively involve public into it. This method is also opportunity to learn better skills and communicate to large public what also contribute to better social status of participants. Project’s outputs were 16 theatre performances, including one premiere. 12 excluded actors were involved in the project. The main benefit for them consists of becaming of part of theatre group, which regularly rehearsed and performed plays several times a month. The “Theatre without home” is regular institution so project participants took part in activities which got them in standard orders, helped them to get needed labour habits and responsibilities. In addition, significant was also impact on major society in Bratislava, which learnt about homelessness very much. Partnership with two Icelandic partners was very fruitfullf. It was focused on mutual exchange of know-how of involving of excluded people in drama-therapeutic processes. Not only Slovak learnt new method (bibliotherapy) from Icelanders but also Icelandic partners learnt new method (theatre of oppressed) from Slovaks and even started to use it.
Summary of bilateral results
Reykjavíkur Akademian had specific task in the project. It was invited to contribute in the project by its experience with specific ways of work with excluded groups (creative writing, postproduktion). Two main partnership activities were implemented to achieve project outputs and outcomes. First, representatives of partner participated in theatre festival Error and related workshop to introduce their experience and learn Slovak methods. Then Slovaks went to Iceland to see work of partner and learn about its methods. Wider effect of partnership was a little bit unexpected. Not only Slovaks learnt new methods from Icelandic partner (e.g. bibliotherapy), but also Icelandic partners learnt a new method (theatre of oppressed) and started to implement it in Iceland already. So the know-how exchange was bidirectional and very efficient. Bilateral relations continue after project end, partners co-participate in another project and they want to colaborate in further activities, The City of Reykjavík organized visit of Slovaks in Iceland (providing of rooms, organizing of workshop). The City authorities are interested in a way of managing of homeless people in Bratislava so Slovak partner representatives explained how Bratislava tackles homeless people and what are considered ways of improving their living conditions.