Description
The project aims to enhance language, communication and social skills of children and youth within the Bosniak minority in the city of Velenje. It has traditionally been an immigrant city, home to a large proportion of immigrants from the countries of the former Yugoslavia. In recent years, due to the general economic crisis and the closure of many factories, where mostly immigrants were employed, the social and economic situation of minorities' families has worsened. This is also greatly reflected in their children's academic success and choosing socially less desired behaviors for coping with difficulties in everyday life. Everything mentioned constitute an obstacle to successful integration into society. 30 children and adolescents will attend language workshops – Bosnian and Slovene language and theater workshops. Bilingual (Slovene-Bosnian) manual will be published for better social inclusion of minorities' youth through theater education. The theater performance will be prepared. The Bosniak minority youth, youth of the majority nation and local community will benefit from the project.
Summary of project results
The project »Lip and Act For the Dreams to Come True« engaged youth from the Bosniak community in Velenje in a yearlong theatre and language training. Bosniak community in Slovenia is one of the largest migrant communities. According to the socio-economic indicators, the second and the third generations still do not perform equally successful in school and on the job market later in life. That is the main reason an intensive theatre training and Bosnian-Slovenian language course was offered to the participants. Project resulted in multimedia theatre production and a comprehensive and practical handbook on theatre education for educators, who are considering incorporating theatre education into their work with children and youth. The inspiration for the title of their theatre production, Walk in My Shoes, stems from the famous Native American proverb that says: Do not judge your neighbour until you walk two moons in his moccasins. The script addresses six topics: homelessness as result of unemployment, poverty and family issues, lack of support for immigrants for a successful social inclusion, discrimination of immigrant pupil in school by teachers, the question of assimilation and inclusion of immigrants, a persistent negative presentation of Islam as a religion, and the last scene is a powerful emotional outpour of a young girl’s feelings, whose father has abandoned her and her family without any explanation. The participants in this project had to go way beyond their comfort zone to be able to create the theatre production and perform in it. They dealt with fear (of public speaking, performing), provoked their imagination and creativity every time, trained their perseverance through countless rehearsals, including rehearsing during school holidays, re-wrote the scenario many times and polished their character on the stage by playing numerous different personalities, battled their own (sometimes to) high expectations, constantly encouraged their peers at the workshops and cheered them in the moments, when they themselves wanted to quit the most. But, most importantly: they learned how to rely on themselves and support others, to believe that their efforts will bear fruit, even though there was no guarantee that their performance will be accepted by the public. As it happened, the participants have gotten a great public recognition for their work.
Summary of bilateral results