Context/background of the project: Prison theatre is definitely not a novel notion. Many theatre and/or artistic groups have been engaged in various projects and activities, small or large-scale ones, in prisons around the globe with the purpose of engaging inmates in the process of becoming familiarised with performing arts. Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, a blended type of theatre instruction to detainees has never been ventured, at least as far as European prisons are concerned. The health crisis incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe restrictions as to the accessibility of the outer world inside the prison walls. Even though art may sound a needless luxury, it has been substantiated by research that it positively affects the psyche and behaviour of inmates. Objectives of the project: The main objective of the project is for inmate participants to be actively involved in theatre through structured activities. Another objective is for them to overcome the obstacles created by their incarceration and the pandemic as regards the accessibility to artistic events. A third objective is for all participating people of the project, i.e. instructors and trainees, to become acquainted and gradually improve their computer skills, since the whole project will be pivoting around the e-ATTACH platform. A fourth objective is for prison theatre teaching practices to be shared and expanded considering that they will be applied to settings different from the ones they were originally designed for. Number and profile of participants: Fifteen (15) inmates from the Greek prison of Domokos and another fifteen (15) inmates from the Italian prison of Venice will participate in the project. All of the participants will be adults. The Greek prison inmates will be male. The Italian prison inmates may be either male or female, as the partner organisation operates in both prisons. The selection of the sex of the participants will depend on the permission given by the Detention Centre Director. All of the participants will be of varied nationalities, not necessarily European. Description of activities: The main activity of the project will be the theatre prison documentation. During the 10 months of its duration, the participants will be introduced and trained in the art of theatre through the conduction of in-situ research which will gradually lead to theatre improvisation techniques. This long-term training will be twofold given the fact that the participants will be guided by their instructors both physically and virtually, using the e-ATTACH platform. Following the documentation process, Greece- and Italy-based inmates will jointly decide and work on a specific play to be concurrently presented 6 months later, again both physically and virtually. Methodology to be used in carrying out the project: The methodology of the project will be effectuated in three phases: during the opening phase, the educational staff and the theatre instructors will meet in order to jointly decide on the specificities of the whole project and be introduced to the functioning of the web platform. During the intermediary phase, the intellectual outputs, the learning-teaching-training activities, and the multiplier event will take place. During the closing phase, the evaluation of the project will be conducted. Short description of results and impact envisaged: The most highly aspired result is that the participating inmates uncover a hidden sensitive self, one that had to be suppressed in order to survive in the inhumane environment of the prison. Secondly, the long-term engagement in the activities of the project will relieve them of the "dead time" which only creates negative feelings, thoughts, and behaviour. Thirdly, they will be introduced and trained not only to the artful lessons of theatre but also to the technology lessons of using the web platform. The education staff along with the theatre instructors will benefit from sharing educational techniques, good practices and innovative approaches which can be applied both on stage and in the classroom. The envisaged impact is that artful thinking becomes a conscientious way of approaching everyday situations and a creative medium to overcoming obstacles. Potential longer-term benefits: Following the completion of the project, what potentially could change is the "curriculum" for inmates. Considering that the engagement with art soothes the mind of all disadvantaged people, it could have a dramatic effect on the behaviour of inmates if it were provided as an optional activity for them. Moreover, the cooperation of theatrical groups from three different European countries, with a vast experience of prison theatre, could constitute the initiation of a prison theatre network to be spread across all Europe. Finally, other forms of art which can be taught virtually, such as wood carving or pottery, would complement the virtual theatre initiative.
The objectives of ATTACH project covered a broad area concerning the involved parties, ie. the inmate participants and their theatrical instructors. Within that scope, the objectives pursued were: For the inmate students/participants: - to gain access to culture even from within the prison - to familiarise themselves with innovative learning practices and e-learning environments; - to improve language and communication skills; - to discover and develop talents; - to engage in a long-term project; - to learn how to cooperate with peers from other countries; - to exploit creatively the prison "dead time". For the teaching staff/theatre instructors: - to share and exchange good practices on creative and performing arts; - to develop common guidance and self-knowledge tools; - to experience new ways of guiding the students in the making of their individual training plan, whilst taking into account their personal tastes and abilities; - to mutually enrich and develop teaching methods by implementing drama techniques into teaching; - to browse the European policies on social integration for disadvantaged people; - to promote e-mobility and lifelong learning through the on-line collaborative platform;
The overall therapeutic effects of arts education are undoubtedly considered to empower everyone with respect to self-worth, confidence, self-expression and development of social skills. The school as the coordinator of the project but also every partner organization of ATTACH project is actively engaged in several arts and theatrical experiences that allow imprisoned people to express their selves in a holistic way and empower them with self-development and other required skills. For those reasons, the project's participants, decided to submit and implement a theatre-related project inside the prison premises of their respective countries in order to address the need for a wider European network of prison theatre by establishing that in the form of an online platform and engaging everyone interested party in that cause. Moreover, a more local need was to establish a cultural local body in each country responsible for prison theatre-related issues and raise local community awareness on the equality of opportunities for inmates, by promoting a smooth transition pathway for them after their release.