The 4th International Festival of the
Theatre of the Oppressed
West Bank & Gaza
“Break Your
Silence…Share Your Stories”
20 April – 10 May 2013
__________________________________
Background information:-
Theatre of the Oppressed brings theatre to all segments
of Palestinian society, and engages communities in democratic dialogue on daily
issues they face and social taboos. The program creates a platform for social
and cultural change, and gives a voice to the voiceless through its focus on
underrepresented groups such as women and youth.
1)- The Theatre of
the Oppressed program has yielded 24 plays produced by ASHTAR
2)- 35 by local
community group
3)- A total of 957
performances have reached 114,200 audience members in communities throughout
the West Bank and Gaza.
Additionally, ASHTAR has trained 258
community members in Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, and 11 “Jokers” to
facilitate performances and thus multiply the outcomes of the program.
Internationally, ASHTAR conducted 3
regional and 2 international training sessions and set up 2 training centres
for Forum Theatre in Yemen and Iraq in its capacity as the Middle East Regional
Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed.
Moreover, Ashtar bi-annually holds the
“International Season of the Theatre of the Oppressed” in Palestine which
brings a multitude of local and international theatre groups to the Palestinian
audience and its fourth round will be implemented in 2013.
The first 3 festivals performed 27
different Forum Theatre plays from national and international theatre groups.
These plays were performed 124 times all over the WB and Gaza and reached 15,000 audience members.
1. Target Groups:
ASHTAR aims to target high school and university
students in addition to the general audience in WBG from rural, disadvantaged
areas and refugee camps. Focus will be to the groups that face more social
constraints and economic difficulties, those who are unlikely to attend cultural
or theatrical activities which are mainly delivered to audiences in urban
areas. The Festival will target various refugee camps and locations in East
Jerusalem, Jericho, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarem, Selfeit,
Qalqilia and Ramallah area as well as in Gaza to ensure their inclusion.
The categories targeted are women and youth, especially
those who face lots of social restrictions due to the conservative and
patriarchal attitudes in society, notably the ones who are unlikely to be able
to move freely in order to attend theatrical activities in urban areas.
Moreover,
ASHTAR targets Palestinian theatre artists and community theatre groups who
lack opportunities for vital artistic exchange with the international theatre
scene, which would stimulate their creativity and potential for innovation.
Coordination is already underway with Palestinian women’s and youth
organizations, as well as national theatres often subjected to a lack of
theatrical productions and activities. They are thus showing a huge interest in
acquiring skills and knowledge about the use of theatre in general, and theatre
of the oppressed in particular.
Students are a major target group; from secondary
schools (UNRWA, Private and governmental) also from colleges and universities
as well as Palestinian youth in youth clubs in WBG (age group 16-24). It is
estimated based on experience from previous festival that we reach an audience
of 5,000 persons; 60% females and 40% males with the majority from remote
marginalized areas and marginalized groups.
By reaching all the above-mentioned segments of
society, the Palestinian society as well as the Palestinian theatre scene as a
whole will benefit from the Festival.
The International Theatre of the Oppressed Network
will benefit through the exchange and dialogue between national and
international artists and ASHTAR Theatre’s role as the “Middle East Regional
Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed” will be strengthened.
The participation of the audience in the theatre shows
will be guaranteed through the interactive approach of the Theatre of the
Oppressed technique which enables the participation of the audience members as
“spect-actors”. In doing so the audience is invited to intervene in such a way
as to change the dynamic of the situation. ASHTAR Theatre will collaborate
closely with the cooperating women’s and youth organizations, and theatres to
ensure reaching the target groups. Next to this, members of these organizations
will be participating in the 2 “forum theatre” workshops. ASHTAR Theatre will
also recruit local volunteers and field coordinators to maximise the local
ownership and acceptance of the Festival.
Thus we plan to reach around 1,400 women and 800 men
(44% of total audience). Youth reached are estimated to be around 2,800
persons, out of which 1,500 females and 1,300 males (56% of total audience).
1. Project Activities and Time Frame:
Preparation phase - January to April
2013:
1. Selection and invitation of local
and international theatre groups (January)
(3 International groups and 8 local community groups and
theatres)
2. Recruitment of staff (January)
3. Coordination of logistics (February
– March)
4. Finalizing festival’s programme March)
5. Media and PR activities – (March -
May)
6. Local coordination (February – May)
Implementation
phase - April to May 2013:
1. Press Conference and Opening
Ceremony (April)
2. Tour of 33 performances all over the West
Bank/Gaza and facilitation of 2 workshops in “Forum theatre and Image theatre”
technique (April – May).
3 Filming documentary film about the
festival (April – May)
Closing
phase – June 2013
1. Monitoring and controlling,
evaluation and reporting (June 2013)
In the
closing phase, ASHTAR Theatre will evaluate the success of the festival,
monitor and analyse the media response and write reports.
1
.
Expected Results
ü Local audience and particularly
women «broke their silence and shared their stories» of gender inequality and
discrimination and got empowered to take action towards social change
ü 33 forum theatre shows and 2
workshops in the « forum theatre » technique were performed and held in
locations all over the West Bank/Gaza
ü Audience opened their minds and
acquired new perspectives on gender equality and women’s rights issues
ü Local women’s and youth
organizations and theatres acquired new skills and got empowered to use Theatre
of the Oppressed in their work
ü Base work for the setting up of new
forum theatre community groups in several new place
ü Palestinian artists and
international colleagues built professional bridges and stimulated their
creativity.
_______________________________________________________________________________
P.O. Box 2127,
Ramallah
Tel:
+970-2-298-0037
Fax: +970-2-296-0326
_______________________________________
P.O. Box 17170, East Jerusalem
Zip Code: 91171
Tel: +972-2-582-7218
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