More information
Description
“Mudarte: The Theater of the Oppressed in the Prevention of Violence among Youth People” is an educational project with children from the 3rd cycle of schools based in Cascais, who, through the use of the Theater of the Oppressed methodology (playing games, exercises and theatrical techniques) stimulating awareness about the theme of youth violence and oppression, thus promoting a transformation in the social and educational level of these young people. Over 3 years, the project aims to raise awareness to about 1200 vulnerable youth people and provide tools for them to act effectively and without violence in situations of oppression. Each class will participate in 12 sessions over 12 weeks, culminating in a theater performance presented to the school community and their families.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address several critical issues related to violence among children and young people, identified through local intervention and direct contact by Associação Helpo. A significant challenge was the frequent lack of sensitivity and information among this population regarding violence, which negatively impacted their daily attitudes and behaviors.
According to the Annual Report by the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV), children and young people are at high risk of victimization. In 2017, 70% of the cases involving children and young people assisted by APAV reported acts of domestic violence, with psychological and physical violence being the most prevalent. Although most violence cases involved female children and young people, there was a relative balance in terms of gender and age, with an increase in support requests from young people aged 11-17.
Additionally, the "Escola Segura" program reported 7,066 school-related incidents in the 2016/2017 academic year, 63% of which were criminal in nature. A 2010 study in Cascais Municipality revealed that 95% of 9th-grade students had been involved in violent situations since the beginning of that year, highlighting a lack of awareness and a high normalization of such conduct among young people.
The project aimed to address these issues by promoting assertive and respectful behaviors among young people, fostering healthy and violence-free relationships.
The project began in April 2019, initially implemented in one class at Carcavelos School. In the first term of the 2019/2020 academic year, the project expanded to five schools in Cascais, involving 20 classes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the project in March 2020. To maintain engagement, the MUDARTE Online challenge was created, consisting of five challenges launched during the third term, with all participating classes submitting a total of 812 responses.
In the 2020/2021 academic year, schools were more resistant to participating due to the pandemic, but the project was initiated in two schools (Alvide and Galiza). In January 2021, in-person sessions were again interrupted, leading to four online sessions to continue supporting the participating classes. Additionally, online sessions were conducted with two other schools (Alapraia and Ibn Mucana), involving 18 classes.
In the third term, in-person sessions resumed for previous classes, and new sessions began at Ibn Mucana School and with five classes at Colégio Maristas de Carcavelos. During the summer of 2021, MUDARTE was also implemented in five play centers in Cascais, with three presentations for parents at the Fontainhas Play Center.
In the final academic year, the project saw increased school participation, allowing implementation in 15 schools (88 classes) across Cascais, Oeiras, Lisbon, Loures, Almada, Vila Franca de Xira, Sintra, and Paços de Ferreira. In April and May 2022, a project documentary was created with a class from Ibn Mucana School in partnership with the Movimento de Expressão Fotográfica (MEF).
Despite pandemic restrictions, most classes had forum theater sessions, though fewer students were reached than desired. Presentations for parents were rare due to school restrictions on external visitors. Over three years, three Theater of the Oppressed workshops were held for 23 technicians, with one workshop specifically for the team of a shelter home by Fundação O Século, involving 12 technicians.
The project was presented as a community resource in a training module for 50 teachers by the Cascais Municipal Forum on Domestic Violence and participated in a supervision meeting for mediators of the Educa Project by Cascais City Council. The final public presentation in June 2022 at Alvide School included preliminary external evaluation results, a best practices manual, and the project documentary, attended by 14 people.
External evaluation by Coatl took place from May to July 2022. At the project''s conclusion, communication and dissemination materials (documentary, best practices manual, and evaluation results) were distributed to all schools and partners, fostering new synergies post-project.
The project achieved significant results by increasing awareness among young people about the oppressions they experience daily and providing them with tools to identify and address these situations effectively, assertively, and non-violently. According to surveys conducted with participating students, between 93% and 97% of the 747 respondents identified violent behaviors among peers, with the percentage dropping to 78.4% for verbal violence such as name-calling or spreading rumors. The surveys also revealed that many respondents believe it is necessary to intervene in bullying situations to protect their peers and tend to do so more peacefully than violently. Regarding the project''s impact on raising awareness and changing behaviors, 65.7% of participants felt that the project improved or greatly improved their ability to intervene in bullying/cyberbullying situations.