Description
InSite Drama is the Project Promoter for this project. Its vision is to help face the most pressing problems of our times through drama and to enable changes in understanding of individuals’ concerning their values and stance, so that they are able to act responsibly in society and become active agents of change. According to a recent national level study conducted by InSite Drama, Theatre in Education (TIE) flourishes in Hungary as never before: today, almost all theatres have such programmes (Adam Cziboy - Adam Bethlenfalvy: Handbook of Educational Theatre Programmes, Budapest, L'Harmattan, 2013). Theatre in Education programmes are complex arts pedagogical repertoire productions in which the creators of the programme initiate interactions with the participants, inviting them to jointly think about the questions offered by the theatrical parts. This might happen in the form of discussions, but the participants frequently get the possibility to take on roles, or become the writers and directors of the story. The Norwegian partner is the Bergen University College, an internationally highly acknowledged institution in the field; our Norwegian associate partner is Bergen's puppet theatre, the Hordaland Teater. The partnership is based on ten years of cooperation.
Summary of project results
In the first semester of the theatrical year 2016/17 (October 2016), a Hungarian delegation with 18 participants travelled to Bergen. The delegation delivered 4 Theatre in Education (TiE) programmes in English, as part of a mini festival organised in Bergen for Norwegian students and professionals. Following the mini festival, members of the Hungarian delegation attended courses and workshops organised by the University, while a few of them delivered a masterclass for Norwegian students and artists. This exchange was mutually beneficial for both parties and significantly influenced the existing practices. Based on the inspiration of the exchange, nine new TiE programmes were developed during the project in Hungary (one in Csokonai National Theatre, one in Hevesi Sándor Theatre, four in the Budapest Puppet Theatre, three own production of InSite Drama). Parallel with this, two new Theatre in Education programmes were developed in Norway. The programmes created in the project will be part of the repertoire of the associate theatres for years. In the second semester of the year (March 2017), seven professors and artists from Bergen came to Hungary. They visited associate theatres and watched the newly created TiE programmes. Besides, they delivered seven workshops in Budapest, which were open to anyone interested. As part of this workshop series, they demonstrated one of the two newly developed TiE programmes. This second exchange helped both parties to refine and finalize the newly created nineTiE programmes. All activities of the exchanges and the creative processes were recorded by professional documentary teams in both countries. The videos created will be useful for educational, research and archiving purposes.
Summary of bilateral results
InSite Drama has been developing TiE programmes jointly with all of the participating partner theatres. The Norwegian donor project partner was the Western Norway University, an internationally highly acknowledged institution in the field. The Norwegian associate partner was Bergen’s puppet theatre, the Hordaland Teater. The partnership has been based on ten years of cooperation. Western Norway University frequently organizes paid study trips for their students to Hungary, because they find the Theatre in Education scene of Hungary one of the finest in Europe – so the exchange served clear and obvious needs on both sides. Based on the personal contacts made in Bergen, the network of the Norwegian and Hungarian artists and professionals has supported each other during the creative process.