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Description
"Tower of Babel "– an interactive epic theatre adventure for a young audience. This Project is a collaboration of five Europe theatres (Norway, Iceland and Lithuania). There will connect different backgrounds of the partners and different experience of interactive theatre. During the first part of project implementation, a couple of days long of an education programme for youth (14-16 years old) will be implemented. This programme will include artistic activities, discussions, meetings with actors of the performance. The aim of this programme is to find out the most relevant topics of nowadays youth; what topics and tools to Express them are accurate for them. All collected material at this part will be used in the creation of the performance in order to ensure young audience''s needs and reality by presenting the most relevant content and forms of expression to a young audience in general. The starting point of forthcoming performance – a biblical story about the construction of the tower of Babel. The audience will be an active part of the performance from the very beginning. The audience will land on the adventurous theatrical journey where sound, light, actors and action will lead them all the way.
In order to take a deeper look at the issues discussed during the performance, after each performance, educational programs will be implemented. Discussions between the audience and creative group will increase the cultural awareness, criticality of the audience as well will help them to understand the development process of the performance, the actor''s profession and creative team. Furthermore, the Project will create an educational package for teachers, which they can easily use in their educational programs. The production of interactive performance "Tower of Babel "is a continuous part of the international Project "Participate In Your Life ".
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to make culture more accessible in regions of Lithuania where it is harder to reach. It also sought to educate young audiences by presenting innovative content and an educational program.
The project was focused on understanding the most relevant issues for today''s youth and finding the best ways to express them. From the start, inclusive theater methods were used to create the performance. An educational program was planned for students aged 14-16. The goal was to answer important questions like: What is relevant for young people today? What do they expect from a new performance? What topics should be explored, and what kind of performance would appeal to them? The performance itself was educational, centered around the question: Can humanity come together to solve global problems that affect us all?
Today’s youth face many concerns, such as the future, climate change and the decline of democratic values in society. The director used the well-known biblical story of the Tower of Babel to explore whether humanity can unite again for a better future. In the "Tower of Babel" theatrical experience, the story became an epic journey of faith and opportunity, where the audience played an active role as narrators.
The project included the following activities and outputs:
- An educational program based on inclusive theatre principles was created and implemented for 8th to 10th-grade students in Lithuania.
- The international interactive and inclusive performance, "Tower of Babel," was developed in collaboration with partners from Norway, Iceland and Lithuania. This performance, inspired by the educational program, was presented in remote Lithuanian towns, including Alytus, Naujoji Akmenė, Pagėgiai, and Čekiškė (Kaunas district).
- An educational package for teachers was created to help them better understand the performance. This package also aimed to develop students'' critical thinking and cultural awareness, making it easier to integrate interactive theatre methods into the school curriculum and enhance traditional education.
The project targeted pupils aged 14-16, as well as teachers and parents of teenagers, delivering results that were not only innovative but also highly relevant and appealing to these groups.
The "Tower of Babel" performance was designed to be easily adapted for smaller venues, such as school halls or cultural centers in rural areas. This allowed the performance to reach a wider audience. It also helped increase access to culture in remote areas, providing cultural education and giving people the opportunity to experience live theater.
Although the performance was aimed primarily at young theatergoers, it was also valuable for educators and parents of students. By attending, they could better understand the issues that matter to modern youth and the world they live in.
The engaging style of the performance and the methods used were also of interest to other theater creators in Lithuania and abroad. The educational package has been prepared in both Lithuanian and English to ensure it can be used more widely in Lithuania and in partner countries.
The performance is now part of the Lithuanian Cultural Pass program, ensuring wider access for students in remote areas and making professional theatre more affordable for them. "Tower of Babel" has been added to the repertoire of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre, where it will be performed for at least five years after the project ends. There will be five performances per year at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre and five tours in Lithuanian regions.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partners from donor countries carried out several important activities. First, they prepared educational programs to explore what topics are important and relevant for young people. Based on these findings, they created the interactive performance "Tower of Babel," which was designed around subjects that are significant for schoolchildren. The engaging style of the performance, along with the methods used, were valuable not only for young audiences but also for theater creators in Lithuania and abroad. Additionally, an educational package for teachers was developed in both Lithuanian and English, ensuring it can be widely used in Lithuania and the partner countries.The partners from Norway, Kompani13, contributed their expertise in acting and creative processes, playing a key role in creating an interactive performance tailored for young people. Director Hilde Brinchmann and the actors combined their knowledge of interactive theater to bring the performance to life. Partners from Iceland, Bird & Bat/Barnamenningarfelagid Skyjaborg, shared their expertise in stage movement and audience engagement, helping to develop the performance''s choreography and music.The performance is planned to tour the countries of all the partners and co-authors in the future.