Rainbow Forum

Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) is a set of theatrical techniques used as means of promoting social and political change. In the Theatre of the Oppressed, the audience becomes active, as "spect-actors" they explore, show, analyse and transform the reality in which they are living. 

In this training we will:

• Learn about the theory and the background of TO and its various techniques, mainly forum theatre
• Acquire practical skills by experimenting with different TO techniques, such as newspaper theatre, image theatre and forum theatre  
• Learn how to conduct a TO workshop, lead games and exercises from the TO arsenal, and run a forum theatre session
• Discuss and explore how workshops of TO could be implemented in everyday work with marginalised / LGBTQAI+ youth groups
• Explore how the methodology of Theatre of the Oppressed can be used as a form of participatory communication for social change

​This training consists of two 8 - day long residential trainings with a compulsory practice in between.
First phase will focus on providing theoretical knowledge and practical skills on TO and non-formal education. Participants will learn to lead basic TO games and exercises and to build a forum theatre play in all the aspects: arriving as a group, building trust and getting the body and mind ready for theatre work, dramaturgy (choosing the story), forum theatre structure, acting, performing in front of the audience, pulling the spect-actors into action. The goal of this phase is to enable participantsto facilitate theatre activities with their groups back home. 

1st phase of the training will be held from 7 to 15 October in Slovakia (venue TBC).

Interphase will be the time for participants to put into practice what they have learned. They will run a workshop in their support organisation, creating a short forum theatre scene or facilitate a workshop, i.e. applying the skills they have acquired. Participants will also analyse the situation and resources in their organisations to see in what ways TO can be implemented as a part of the activities of their organisation.

Second phase will have as the objective to reinforce the learning process through 
the reflection of the participants’ experience during the practice phase, in order to clarify issues that might have arisen and to provide further theoretical and practical input for participants. We will deepen the knowledge of forum theatre and add more techniques to our TO repertoire. We will also perform a forum theatre performance, which we built together during the trainings, in front of an audience in public space. This second training will also provide space for networking, joint action planning and discussion on possible new projects. 

2nd phase of the training is planned to be held from 5 - 14 December