The outbreak of the new coronavirus has strongly impacted everyone's lives. Among the most affected areas are also theatre and activism that are based on live contact, community and solidarity, group work and cooperation. How to go on? The answer is, of course: work online. But it is not so easy to digitalise techniques that have evolved in live contact during thousands of years by simply setting them in front of a webcam. Deeper reflection and an experimental, laboratory approach is necessary, as well as the exchange of opinions, approaches and experience. The main aim of the project is to build a diverse international multiplying community of activists and theatre-makers implementing theatre of the oppressed techniques in youth work, in order to equip young people who will participate in online activities (workshops, festival, performances) with competences for critical thinking, proactive citizenship, creative expression and social engagement. Together we intend to reflect on and develop new methods and forms of artistic expression that will allow for fruitful and relevant operating during current circumstances. Addressing such global issues requires global understanding of reality, thus it is necessary to make the project international in order to exchange views and opinions, experience and approaches. It is also necessary to address the above topics in a wider context, at international and EU levels. Some of the expected results: - a community of activists/artists (artivists) and youth workers who are using theatre methodology; - approximately 15 trainers as primary beneficiaries that develop their facilitation skills of facilitating theatre of the oppressed techniques among young people; - approximately 200 primarily beneficiaries (young training attendees, future theatre performers) who will became a transnational community; - approximately 300 secondary beneficiaries (theater performance attendees, consumers of the products of artistic creations) will become part of the dialogue through theatre and activist methods - produced creative commons material (Manual for the use of online TO techniques, Project Videos, Theatre Artistic tools, online performances) that can be used with the purpose of dissemination; - creating a programme of education for youth workers, theatre of the oppressed online as a method of youth work - increasing the number of young people and youth workers participating in activist-theatre practice in the local, national and international environment; - improved sustainable and operating bridges between the partner organizations and their respective activist communities. Individuals from different organisations will participate in the project, which is based on long-term partner collaboration between participating organisations. The strategic partnership is an opportunity for in-depth exchange of knowledge and newly acquired practice based on the concrete experience of the epidemic. Participants of activities will be young people and youth workers who will collaborate in conceptualising, outlining and carrying out workshops and the Manual in each of the partner organisations. All organisations include diverse target groups according to TO methods, this ensures for continuous work and regular attendees. International activities in all partner countries will be aimed both at collaborating partners as well as the wider interested public (workshops, festival, performances). The desired impact will be a strong community within the project countries which will enhance the building and strengthening the communities of theatre beyond project countries and will in the long-term turn into a European and later global movement which generates the means of artistic expression for intersecting social and environmental topics in the areas of informal education and engagement of youth. Based on the circumstance and social trends ever more activities are being transferred online. Of course it is inconceivable that theatre would completely disappear from the physical environment and got transferred online, it is nevertheless safe to assume that even after the corona crisis is over the demand for online tools in theatre education will continue increasing.
The main goal of the project was to create an international and diverse community of multipliers, youth workers, who primarily work as activists and theater practitioners, who use the theater of the oppressed in their work with young people, and young people who participated in online activities (workshops, festivals, performances) equip with competences: - critical thinking, - proactive civic attitudes, - creative expression and - social engagement. Together, we shook up and developed new methods of operation and forms of artistic expression, which enabled fruitful and relevant operation even in the changed circumstances in which we found ourselves. Addressing such global problems also required a global understanding of reality, so the international nature of the project was necessary for the exchange of opinions and views, experiences and approaches. At the same time, it was necessary to draw attention to the listed topics in the widest possible context, at the international level and at the EU level (gender equality, environmental protection, social inclusion, non-discrimination, active citizenship...).
In the years 2020-2022, the epidemic of the new corona virus made a big impact on the lives of all people. Theater activities and activism, which are based on live contact, community building and solidarity, socializing and cooperation, were among the most affected areas. Before starting the project, we asked ourselves "How to proceed?" We searched for and found the answer during the Webbing Theatre project - by transferring the practice to the web. Since we were aware that techniques that have been developed for thousands of years in live contact cannot be easily digitized by simply placing them in front of a web camera, during the project we had time for in-depth consideration, an experimental, so to speak laboratory approach and an exchange of different opinions, approaches and experiences on how to make theater work online and keep it in contact with young people and youth workers.