Social Community Theater - training course in Rabka-Zdrój (Poland)

July 31, 2023 at 2:57 pm

How can theatre and art help to build a strong community and promote social change? The ‘Social Community Theatre’ training course addressed this question. From 1 - 8 July 2023, two participants were sent to Poland by EuroYouth. The focus of the course was on improvisation and contact theatre, which is based on the elements of play and storytelling. These two pillars are seen as tools for building inclusive social relationships and informal education. The course is designed to empower participants to use artistic methods and bring about social change through theatre.

The theatre play is based on the shared experiences of the participants. Through games and storytelling, participants can build a community in which no one is judged and everyone actively participates. This playful approach makes it possible to internalise important social concepts such as gender equality, inclusion, tolerance, empathy and respect for rules. On the first day of the course, we laid down the rules for our get-together. The methodology of the course included various games from theatre pedagogy in which everyone could participate. The participants themselves were also able to offer workshops and share their knowledge with the course. The international evening was also special, where everyone was able to present delicacies from their home country. One aim of the course was to support the participants in developing small artistic projects themselves. These initiatives were intended to give participants the opportunity to put what they had learnt into practice and drive social change in their own environment.

The ‘Social Community Theatre’ training course was a real stroke of luck for the participants sent by EuroYouth. They had a lot of fun and a valuable opportunity to explore the power of theatre for social change and building a strong community.