Social Theater Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The paper argues that Legislative Theatre, as an artistic methodology for active citizenship, creates a process of collective reflection to produce solutions to community conflicts. Boal used this tool of transitive democracy to conceive... more

The paper argues that Legislative Theatre, as an artistic methodology for active citizenship, creates a process of collective reflection to produce solutions to community conflicts. Boal used this tool of transitive democracy to conceive legal proposals in favour of marginalised groups. Thirteen of these proposals were approved by the legal system in Brazil. The analysis of a Legislative Theatre workshop in Spain using Boal’s methodology allowed the identification of some interesting elements but also the limitations of the tool. Aspects including the ideology of the audience, the scope of the legal proposals and the role of the joker are seen as important. Other conditioning elements and positive aspects are also discussed

One thing is to see someone who is pretending to be eating; a different thing is to see someone actually eating; and yet another thing is to eat something. Theatre is the symbolic nourishment of the human being. It can be a play where... more

One thing is to see someone who is pretending to be eating; a different thing is to see someone actually eating; and yet another thing is to eat something. Theatre is the symbolic nourishment of the human being. It can be a play where someone is making a show of eating; or a live performance by someone who is really eating in front of an audience, or
finally it can be where the true action of eating, cooking and teaching others to cook takes place. As we are all different, for what we enjoy in the theatre as well, there cannot be one type of theatre suitable for all. What we need is indeed a variety of theatrical forms, performances and sociocultural
dramaturgies, to create good representations, good actions and good relations for the benefit of individuals, groups, communities and the society as a whole.
This is “social theatre”: a unique experience to seek and express art through life, as opposed to framing life in the form of art.
We anlyze one interesting experience that we have studied. It is "Legami in spazi aperti", a project lasted over 6 years with a social theatre laboratorie operative at Verziano, the Prison of Brescia. This laboratory has developped and promoted a very close connection with the abilities of the individuals, the treatment procedures already existing in prison and the local policy about Community Local Development for exdeteined social reinsertion.

Using real-life stories written by female offenders, Planting Seeds - Life Stories to Awakening Self-Awareness seeks to identify the systematic challenges these females may have faced, that in most cases, are the root-causes of their... more

Using real-life stories written by female offenders, Planting Seeds - Life Stories to Awakening Self-Awareness seeks to identify the systematic challenges these females may have faced, that in most cases, are the root-causes of their derailment from the societal norms of conduct. Applying the concepts of community and social justice and equality as a lens, this work will attempt to corroborate, as a universal postulate, that the process of sharing life stories can have transformative effects on the individuals and that theatre techniques, such as theatre games and scripting can help identify those impediments to restoring lives. Key to the transformative component of this work is the exploration of theatre as a mechanism of support and restoration and that the contributions that theatre may offer are the pillars that sustain the well-being of communities, and henceforth society. Using techniques of storytelling and story writing in the process of re-enacting life stories, the participants will be able to possibly recognize issues that may be impeding their growth. In addition, engagement in storytelling, and moreover, story writing can help the participants increase their cognitive skills and the ability to live a communal life. This evidence-based practice can transform lives and society. It has the potential of continuing to other facilities and with other populations, such as incarcerated males, juvenile delinquents, and orphans. It can reach out beyond these institutionalized populations to any community in need of finding itself, and, further its maximum potential. This work seeks to help these females identify impediments for further growth by using theatre techniques such as sharing and scripting their life stories.

..."Ύστερα από πολλαπλές αναγνώσεις όμως-και με μια πιο διερευνητική διάθεση -διαφαίνεται μια άλλη όψη του έργου κάτω από την επιφάνεια της σκληρότητας: η Πλαστελίνη είναι ένα βαθιά ανθρωπιστικό κείμενο, σπαραχτικό, τρυφερό, το οποίο... more

..."Ύστερα από πολλαπλές αναγνώσεις όμως-και με μια πιο διερευνητική διάθεση -διαφαίνεται μια άλλη όψη του έργου κάτω από την επιφάνεια της σκληρότητας: η Πλαστελίνη είναι ένα βαθιά ανθρωπιστικό κείμενο, σπαραχτικό, τρυφερό, το οποίο χάνει την ιδιότητα του αυτή όταν κανείς κοιτάξει μονάχα μέχρι τη σκληρότητα. Η ίδια η ωμότητα του έργου, όπως την βιώνει ο πρωταγωνιστής, είναι αυτή που καταπνίγει την πραγματική του ταυτότητα. Το έργο και οι χαρακτήρες του «πλάθονται» και ετεροκαθορίζονται ξανά και ξανά από συνθήκες, γεγονότα, καταστάσεις, τοποθεσίες αλλά, κυρίως, από άλλους ανθρώπους"...