Experiences of Theatre of the Oppressed in Zanzibar by Fondazione ACRA

Drops of life

This project stems from a collaboration between ACRA and the Theatre of the Oppressed.

Project created and co-funded by

In collaboration with

Co-funded by

With the contribution of

EUROPEAN UNION Chamgamoto Life Preservation Fund

ANGOZA - Association of NGOs in Zanzibar

ZAWA - Zanzibar Water Authority

This kit was created with the financial support of the European Union. ACRA assumes full responsibility for its content, which may in no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. The kit was realized for information purposes, sale and partial duplication without the permission of the author is prohibited. ©ACRA

Experiences of Theatre of the Oppressed in Zanzibar

The Kit “Drops of life - Samaki na maji” is a production BY ACRA realized under the project “Strengthening process for a economically sustainable management of an aqueduct in Zanzibar”

Samaki na maji

Co n

A photo-exhibition - in large - format photographs - by Elena Ranaldo is available for those who want to deepen the use of the Theatre of the Image.

Drops of life - Samaki na maji

The photographs by Elena Ranaldo shall introduce you to the magic of the emotions of the Theatre of the Image in Zanzibar. We shall retrace together our African theater route, with memories and thoughts that can also become points of reference and reflection for those who want to deepen the understanding of the Theatre of the Oppressed. The video by Alfredo Meschi and Graziano Vannucci reproduce step by step the workshops moments introduced by the photographs and shall offer you the real possibility of using this theatrical method. The pictures by Sandro Perdighe shall make you dream about Zanzibar and through interviews and insights you could better contextualize this project that lays in the world of the cooperation for development.

s in a t

The title “Samaki na maji” is in Swahili and means “Fishes and Water”

Editorial project ACRA Editorial Coordination Patrizia Canova Edited text Alfredo Meschi*, Graziano Vannucci* Photographs Elena Ranaldo* Graphics and layout Chiara Baggio Translations Chiara Lazzarini DVD shooting, direction and editing Sandro Perdighe* Printing Galli Thierry Stampa, Milano DVD duplication Arte Video Snc, Palmanova (UD)

* Alfredo Meschi and Graziano Vannucci, actors, hosts and educators of the Theatre of the Oppressed. Elena Ranaldo: photographer and activist for Water, a common good. Sandro Perdighe: musician, filmmaker. The are all members of: “A free Treeatre group” - www.ilteatrodelloppresso.blogspot.com

Karibuni, welcome

This video-bookâ&#x20AC;Ś. are actually 3! video-books! It is a diary of the wonderful days spent with women and men of Zanzibar, a handbook for anyone who wants to try the Theatre of the Oppressed and especially the Image Theatre and a collection of emotions and magic.

May each one of you find at least a small part of what you are looking for.

The encounter The FIRST moment with a new group, with a small community, with people who came to share a piece of road together. The magic of the theater of humanity starts there. When we present ourselves - whether through a game, saying our names or with a small gesture offered to the rest of the group - we

plays actress and actor. The Theatre of the Oppressed creates this incredible MAGIC; it gives us back the theater world, often reserved to professionals only and takes us back in touch with our being-theater. The language of the theater is one of the many languages â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;that we - human beings - use to speak, to communicate and to meet the others.

Energy in a circle The circle gives us the MEASURE of a group in every possible sense. Faces and stories. Fears and hopes. Fatigue and strength. The people who create the circle decide its pace. The climate of the group, its little or great desire to play the game starts from here. Fishes - like the one in the cover of this book - were for us the first opportunity to test the circle. Everyone has drawn his/her fish, has given it to another person and so on, from hand to hand. Everyone told the others what was good in the last drawing he had received, what he liked of that fish and what we can always appreciate in another human being. Those little and big fishes have accompanied us through all our

workshop up to this book, as symbols of a community, of beauty and individual wealth, of a bond with water that gives us life and - in Zanzibar - also diseases and death.

Trust

I put myself in your hands. I let myself be guided with my eyes closed. Through your touch I can feel. It is essential to continue to explore our stories. Whether it is a crumb or a mountain, the trust needs to be handled with care within each group. Together with these women and men - so different from us in language, culture, religion and lifestyle - we chose to give our bodies the task of OVERCOMING diversity, barriers and fears. Games, techniques, exercises in silence and often with our eyes closed have made easier the encounter with the Other. And a deep encounter nourishes trust.

Rituals

A hand up, a big hug, a kiss on the cheek, better two, or three of them. Or a kiss on the mouth. Or a hand on the heart. A greeting that is a PROMISE to meet again the Other. Each step, day or week of work together needs its own ritual of closure. A closure that does not cut cleanly the experience we have just lived but that sums it up, that contains it and values it. â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039; A closure that opens to life.

De-mechanize oneself

To lubricate, to free, to loosen up to dissolving the mechanical nature that every body - even the most harmonious one - has inside. Hundreds of games and exercises to FEEL everything you touch. To listen to all that is heard. To see everything that is looked. To be surprised by ourselves and our miraculous being.

The sculptor and the clay

Through our gentle touch our bodies become sensitive as alive clay. A game of infinite possibilities starts. While we model the bodies of the others in a free and respectful, gentle and determined way, images emerge spontaneously. Within the group it start a dialogue with the body, we play and tell ourselves through hands that shape.

Images of oppression

When our bodies are free to speak through the images, we just have to listen to them. Everyone sooner or later will tell stories of oppression. With the right time and the necessary care for ourselves and for the others, we come to shape and refine the image of the oppression we live: our image. An image for each group member.

Readings

Each sculpture is open to many different readings. No one of them is wrong; all of them add something to our

REALITY. There is no need to explain, no need of misreading words, let the images of othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bodies resonate in our inner being. Choose an image-sculpture that can unify, represent and give voice to the oppression of our group.

The dream

From the real to the ideal. From the oppression to the image of a dream. The future is our ability to dream and LIVE our dream. Starting with the image of oppression of the group, we ask everyone to modify and transform it into the most beautiful imaginable image for that situation. It does not matter if it may seem magical, unreal or a dream. It shall serve as a LIGHTHOUSE, as a horizon.

A pebble at a time

The TRANSITION. A pebble after another, one image after another, from change to CHANGE. To each one of us now, the role of creators of a better world... Changing the image of oppression of the group - with a small detail or with a more difficult but feasible choice - we get closer to the ideal, the dreamt image...

To collect and return We are not here to fill empty containers; we are not here to lock down our supposed truth.

NOBODY FREES NO ONE, NOBODY FREES HIMSELF ALONE. Pamoja! The facilitator of the Theater of the Oppressed should not do great things... just collect and return. He has to collect all the important steps that the group has accomplished, all the tracks of liberation and the revolutionary solutions that have already been explored. And he has to return, summarize and suggest them to the group in the way that nothing is taken for granted. Hence, the incredible force expressed in the group, the change that the group has tried and tested and the liberation from the oppression experienced within the group can be repeated starting from now - in our lives.

You can do theater everywhere ... even in the theaters! And, of course, in the middle of the forest... The Theater of the Oppressed developed in groups provides the opportunity to experiment different ways of liberation from oppression. The

possibility

living

with

confidence

our

own

REVOLUTIONARY FORCE. An actual performance, a real spectacle, a THEATRICAL FEAST offers the same opportunity to a larger group, to the people and to the whole community. And fortunately we do not need the OpĂŠra de Paris...

The project by ACRA An economically sustainable management of an aqueduct in Zanzibar An economically sustainable management of an aqueduct in Zanzibar Zanzibar is characterized by limited opportunities for diversification and economic growth. The major constraints are represented by the limited availability of land and human resources. Many areas of the island are ignored both by public and private funds and there are still considerable difficulties in meeting the basic needs of the population, including access to drinking water, which is certainly a priority for the island.

The involvement of women groups engaged in management activities and use of water resources has contributed significantly to the strengthening of decision-making power of women within the community and was seen as a replicable model - sensitive to gender equity - for the sustainable management of water. Furthermore, the project has funded nine business plans in eight communities, for a total of 76 contractors involved. The project has organized technical training courses on farming practices, business management courses and on hygiene education and has promoted training and education courses based on participatory methods such as the Theatre of the Oppressed, as described in this text. The direct beneficiaries of the project were 44,962 people living in 17 municipalities of the Northern Districts / B and West. Among those there are at least 20,800 boys and girls between 0 and 14 years who can now drink safe water and about 6,200 girls between 5 and 14 years that will not spend at least 1 hour per day to fetch water anymore.

ACRA, intervening in this context, has worked with local communities to improve the living conditions of the population of the archipelago in terms of poverty reduction and improved health conditions and is committed to promoting womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empowerment through participation in resource management and involvement in economic income-generating activities. ACRA project - through the construction of an aqueduct - made drinking water and basic sanitation accessible to the rural population of nine villages. The intervention was implemented using a participatory approach, in the framework of a sustainable management policy of water and its costs. Moreover, the intervention was consistent with the provisions of the new Water Policy of Zanzibar.

The theater of the Oppressed in Zanzibar

Thanks to the Theater those stories have become images; all we had to do was to look at them, to understand and to learn them. The participatory process of need identification - upon which lays our work as actors of development - is a delicate and tiring, Socratic process that we transformed into a game and into an image during our experience in Zanzibar; and in this sense it has been a true “liberation.” These unique and simple techniques can help a lot in processes of monitoring and evaluation of activities; “let me tell you a story” we are told sometimes.

From the moment in which we began to discuss with Alfredo about the possibility of bringing the Theater of the Oppressed in Zanzibar, the most impetus push, for me, was the curiosity, the desire to find new ways to address recurring problems of our work. For several years we have been reflecting with increasing emphasis on the role of communication and about the risks due to distortion in the communication flows both from and to the group that manage it. We want to imagine the experiences of development we promote as arenas in which actors confront themselves, each one bringing his/her own expertise and conflicts, each one with legitimate sometimes transparent, but more often hidden - expectations. These players have many different faces, in Zanzibar they are farmers and fishermen, village chiefs and local administrative authorities, operators of the Ministry and of the public Authority - which regulates public drinking water service, - they are the colleagues of the associations we work with or political parties activists... Our role was to listen to these voices, let they tell us their stories and summarize them into a coherent effort that led to improvements in their life conditions. The great strength of the Image Theater- an experience that overwhelmed me and that I will replicate in other situations whenever I can - is to enable women and men to tell their story in a clear, interference-free way.

Mario Milanesi Project Manager, ACRA

(From DAVIS AND DART 2005 The Most Significant Change Technique)

“Karibu... Tell us!” “Please ... Tell me!”

Asante sana! If we were successful in these goals, we must thank - without any false modesty - this incredible group. A group composed of members of two of the many villages, or better, “sheia”, involved in the project carried We hope that the pictures you have just admired may give

out by ACRA.

you an idea of our experience with this group of women

Some of them had previous experience of community

and men of Zanzibar.

theater, the so-called “michezo” - a sort of ironic

The idea stemmed from ACRA first in Italy and then on

improvisations on popular themes.

the field - was to use the method of the Theatre of the

Some others played the role of facilitators and coordinators

Oppressed to collect impressions, emotions, doubts and

within their communities and within the ACRA project on

suggestions and to document through the Theatre of the

drinking water management.

Image part of the process undertaken by local communities

All of them, however, shared the same status of people

concerning the water issue. The further expectation - at

personally involved in water-related oppression issues.

the limits of ambition and challenge - was to provide to the

We have been educators, researchers and practitioners of

local community facilitators one more tool, unusual and

the Theater of the Oppressed for over fifteen years and in

creative, to be used in the process that their communities

our workshop we met hundreds of people. But this time it

were facing together with ACRA with regard to the theme

was very special and unique. We were really surprised by

Water and its management.

the fluidity demonstrated by this group.

There might have been many difficulties and problems,

with which the effects of our workshop occurred.

such as the total linguistic difference, the fact that the group

In this book and DVD we have presented our workshop

was very large and composed by people from under 14

through twelve symbolic steps; the twelve steps we went

to over 50, the restrictions on the use of many techniques

though with the group with the technique of the Theatre of

because of the different religious customs, the risk of be

the Image and the method of Augusto Boal.

seen through the stereotype of the “rich-Western trainers” and the inevitable disruptions when we tried to translate

This group began to surprise us from the very first step...

some key points...

among the first proposals there was the one of the collective

Well, it seemed that none of this really mattered.

drawing: everyone would have drawn his/her own “fish

The group has entered the path of the Theater of the

of the heart” - a nice fish, their fish! Fishes as symbols of a

Oppressed in a truly natural way, responding with

theater play in conjunction with the water element, which

promptness, ease and creativity to any proposal.

would have accompanied us throughout the workshop. The

And the research work, the reading and exploration of

fished would have been given to the other participants as an

oppressions emerged in the same way. We talked with

opportunity to meet and present each other, hand in hand...

Mario Milanesi - Project Manager of ACRA - after the daily

Well, we realized soon the kind of team we had before

sessions and it was amazing how the oppressions, difficulties

us... they put precision and joy in the drawings; care and

and expectations that arose from time to time were reflected

availability in offering, receiving and keeping the fishes.

in the experience of ACRA; they were recognized as being significant confirms, as direction of intervention.

There was the creativity and natural inclination to appreciate

Of course that is how the Theater of the Oppressed works

the drawing of other participants and to find at least a detail

but the unexpected thing was precisely the ease and speed

that was, frankly, to be highlighted for its quality...

In short, the ability to open oneself to the rest of the group -

It was exciting to see how robust and muscle men were

sometimes made by well-known and friendly faces but also

gently and cheerfully holding hands and let themselves

by many new faces...

drive with their eyes closed, in turn, to discover the beautiful

The ability to appreciate the Other.

surroundings of the school that hosted us. The end of each day was another confirm of the talents of

The next steps are a sequence of confirmations on the

this group. When we proposed them to end the day with a

quality of this group and on its spontaneous and instinctive

theatrical ritual of greeting and closing, which they already

receptivity with respect to a theatrical method coming from

known and was already used in their communities, we

the other hemisphere of the world.

were ready to receive something simple and contained

In the exercises that required keeping oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes closed

considering the hours of hard work carried out in a warm

- the ones that we proposed in order to increase the focus

and humid climate almost unbearable for us...

and the trust in the others - the immersion in the climate

The rituals that they showed us were instead real explosion

of each technique was immediate and amazing. Yes, it

of rhythm and joy, of the desire to share and once again of

had happened before in other laboratories, groups and

the will to put oneself to the test, all together!

contexts but the naturalness of this group of people - so

Augusto Boal said that even a minor and short exercise or

diverse and heterogeneous at the same time - in capturing

game is already - in itself - the Theatre of the Oppressed.

the right spirit to work together despite the language and

However, we wanted to use the Image Theatre at its most

the setting difficulties really surprised us.

expression with this group, which had already demonstrated

Each one of the techniques with the eyes closed - that you

its natural abilities in games, techniques, steps, etc.

shall be able to imagine through the photographs and the

Our hope was to collect some images about WATER,

video - was done with attention, respect and CARE.

images to discuss about with the group and with ACRA.

Nevertheless, we did not wanted to exert any pressure,

As day passed by and with the deepening of the process,

influence nor impact leaving everyone free to express

the first images of oppression came out. In those images

oneself through the language of the image, any image...

the author - the sculptor - tells his/her story of difficulty, of concern and of oppression including himself/herself as

There is a series of exercises that - in our jargon - we call

oppressed protagonist in the scene that he/she has carved.

the “Series of the Mirror” and that we often use them as

It should be stressed that throughout this phase of our

a preparatory phase to another series called “Modeling

workshop, the verbal communication, the speech and the

Series.”

spoken language were suspended. And in this sense, the group has fully understood why.

They are like an ABC to enter the world of the Image.

The body thinks, as Boal said, the body speaks...

Once again, we were surprised by the way in which the

The images followed one another in their presentations to

group responded to this phase of the work.

the rest of the group, without providing any explanation,

Putting together the opening photographs of Elena Ranaldo

without suggesting or emphasize anything.

with the photo-sequence of the next pages and the images of

The images themselves were talking and communicating

the DVD, we hope you might understand what we mean.

enough. The public - that with the Theater of the Oppressed

It seemed these people had used their bodies and the art of

turns from passive spectator to active and interactive

carving themselves and others for years...

spect-actor - could finally read, recognize, let enter the

Images flowed with natural ease, bodies were left modeling

proposed images time after time... and there came another

and a way to communicate beyond words was the main

surprise!

resource of the group.

PHOTO to the left

Dirty water bends life literally. Images of suffering related to consumption of contaminated water are unfortunately common. PHOTO above

Water is the source of life, but in Zanzibar also of suffering and death.

PHOTO above

Disputed water, stolen water. PHOTO to the right

A man lying on his back is â&#x20AC;&#x153;recognizedâ&#x20AC;? as a water faucet that someone has broken. Some people try to repair it; someone runs for help, someone else is surprised and shocked...

Among the many images presented - with the exception of

that the participants who were asked to say what they saw

some that have been read as images of oppression related

in those pictures had the total right and complete freedom

to stories of youth crime or conflict - the vast majority of

to express what they actually felt.

them was on water.

Certainly the group knew that our project was born within

Even those who had postures and readings more related to

the ACRA intervention on drinking water management in

other oppressions showed the constant of water.

Zanzibar and therefore we could expect seeing images

We remember, for example, a picture where a character

related to water.

was lying on the ground with his arms along his body and

However, considering that we did not given importance to

there was another person bending over him in the act of

this issue during previous workshops, the speed and ease

hitting him.

with which the images were carved and the almost total lack of spoken language, led us to believe that the water

A reading suggested from the public was that the person

issue was really the most felt oppression within the group.

lying on the ground was a thief, caught in the act and killed.

Further confirmations came from the easy identification

But another reading identified the first character as a faucet

and selection of an image that could explain the most

that had been broken by the other character to steal the

representative oppression for everybody.

water from it. The image is portrayed by Elena Ranaldo under the title In short, what emerged from the interventions of the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Images of Oppressionâ&#x20AC;? and shows a group of people

group was the reality of water as a common element to

in a closed circle, stretching out their hands to receive

the oppression of the group. We what to remind you is the

something that descends from above and some other

group was free to create any kind of oppressive image and

persons who remain outside the circle.

The readings of the group, our readings and subsequent

The image of the dream.

verifications by ACRA Project Manager confirmed the reliability of the image.

A new image: the same people and other more are now

A representative sample of community shared the fear, the

in joyful attitudes, no one is excluded, there is plenty of

tension and the conflict related to the daily issue of water.

water for all, the water is no longer a problem from any perspective and the community can celebrate...

Not being sure of the quality of water supplied, not knowing if the good one is enough for everyone and the risk of being

Who can state with certainty that such a dream is destined

excluded is a daily oppression - a heavy and terrible one if

to remain just a dream?

we think about the potential impact that it may have on the

Our belief is that it is still possible to move towards the

health and serenity of a community.

direction of the dream and of the ideal, maybe without

The Theatre of the Oppressed is a method that lays to

reaching it but certainly having the opportunity to improve

the boundaries of politics, education, social action, social

the current oppression, one step at a time, one pebble after

therapy and...theater!

another.

And because it is a theater, it gives us the chance to dare the

The transition phase has precisely this purpose: to involve

impossible, to explore the size of the dream and of the ideal.

the whole group in this process of moving closer to the

So then the group has ventured to create - starting from this

dream, in this path of virtuous transformation of reality.

picture of oppression - another completely different image:

The image that the group chose as the image of transition

the image of how an oppressive situation could become an

- of possible change - represented a group fetching water

idyllic situation.

from a fountain, one person at a time...

For us - citizens of the North - such an image would not be

We hope that - also thanks to this video-book - our

idyllic because we have the chance to even forget open the

friends in Zanzibar may continue to use the Theater of the

many faucets we have in our homes...

Oppressed to explore their oppression, their dream and the change...

But in Zanzibar - in the rural communities represented by the group - the real feasibility of fetching safe water with

It was an experience that confirmed and reinforced some

buckets - without fearing conflicts dictated by shortages

aspects of the path undertaken by ACRA and that we hope

or waterborne diseases - and a safe, guaranteed and

to share with you - our readers - maybe meeting you in

controlled supply of water thought a public fountain, is a

the future for an active presentation of this project...

decisive step! The images of the following pages shall go over what we How we can do it?

have just described, adding the rhythm, the flow of time and the sense of our journey.

The group expressed the need to be supported by the work of ACRA but has also expressed awareness of its role, of its expectations and its willingness to cooperate. For us, this experience was truly enriching and meaningful; we felt privileged to witness a community setting offâ&#x20AC;Ś

What is the Theatre of the Oppressed?

“Anyone can do theater... even the actors... you can do theater everywhere... even at the theaters...”

Augusto Boal

It describes a range of theatrical forms that Augusto Boal

The Theatre of the Oppressed is composed of several

elaborated in the 1960s, initially in Brazil and later in Europe

techniques that are intended to make the human being

and now have spread all over the world. Boal’s techniques

protagonist of the dramatic action and to train him/her to be the

use theatre as means of knowledge and transformation of

protagonist of his/her life “together” to his/her fellow men.

reality in the social and relational field.

From the ideas of Paulo Freire1, the Theater of the Oppresses

In the Theatre of the Oppressed, the audience becomes

takes the not-indoctrinating, Socratic attitude: it does not

active, such that as spect-actors they explore, show, analyze

give answers but raises questions and creates relevant

and transform the reality in which they are living.

contexts to the collective search for solutions.

Essentially it consists in the use of widespread theatrical

One of its basic assumptions is that “the body thinks”,

language, in the use of aesthetic space and its properties in

i.e., a conception of the human being as a totality of body,

order to initiate processes of collective awareness, that is,

mind and emotion where the learning / change involves

personal and social change.

all these three aspects, in close relation. The Theatre of

In other words, it aims to develop the human drama in

the Oppressed touches the boundaries between theater,

order to analyze and transform the situations of distress,

education, therapy, social intervention and policy.

discomfort, conflict, oppression, etc.

The centerpiece of the work is the analysis aimed at the 1

Paulo Freire, Brazilian pedagogue and important educational theorist.

transformation of situations of oppression, discomfort,

Existing laws that were not respected were reinforced by

conflict and daily life.

actions of Invisible Theatre, which highlighted their failures. It

While touching personal and emotional aspects, the Theater of

was an experience that Boal called of “transitive democracy”

the Oppressed does not arise as a therapy but as an instrument

- neither direct nor delegated - that connected legislation

of collective “liberation” that is based on self-awareness of

and institutions with the key needs of organized citizens.

people, on “multiple mirror of the look of others.”

This experience is being proposed now in several cities in

The different critical situations can be addressed using

Europe, with some attempts in Italy. Today, the Theatre of the

appropriate methods and techniques:

Oppressed has spread all over the world, with a historical

• • • • • •

Forum Theater Image Theater Invisible Theater Flic-dans-la-tete (Cop in the head) Newspaper Theater Other particular exercises

center in Rio (Centro do Teatro do Oprimido) along with diverse groups and centers that have developed particular visions of the Boal method in several other countries. What is the “conscientization”? This refers to the educational and political research by Paulo

The last step of the Theater of the Oppressed was the

Freire. The objective of the conscientization is to enhance

Legislative Theater experience initially held in Rio de

the knowledge and the resources of groups facilitating a

Janeiro from 1993 to 1996 where Boal - who was elected

learning process that becomes critical consciousness,

deputy of the House of Vereadores - coordinated a project

which is “transitive”, dialogic and a potential “liberation.”

through which organized social groups (women, landless,

The conscientization is a common practice in many countries

unemployed, etc.) could express their needs within the

- mainly in South America - focused on the trust in the

theater, translating them into legislative proposals discussed

“knowledge” of the oppressed people and on the role of the

in the House and vice versa.

facilitator that educates and learns thought the dialogue.

12 steps to set off with the Theater of the Oppresses

THE ENCOUNTER

YOU CAN DO THEATER EVERYWHERE...

TO COLLECT AND RETURN

A PEDDBLE AT A TIME

ENERGY IN A CIRCLE

TRUST

THE DREAM

DE-MECHANIZE ONESELF

4 RITUALS

THE SCULPTOR AND THE CLAY

READINGS

7 IMAGES OF OPPRESSION

Preliminary remark The Theatre of the Oppressed started as a popular theater, just as one of several options available to the people to free from social oppression. It was born in the favelas, in dusty streets, in poor countryside areas... It was impossible to spend hundreds and often thousands of Euros to learn, practice and disseminate a method such as the Theatre of the Oppressed. For us it is impossible even today. So our approach is and shall be to return the Theater of the Oppressed to those who may need it, to those who have the desire to use it, without letting it stay with the esoteric knowledge of professional trainers. Our desire is to offer you the opportunity to replicate the experience we have lived in Zanzibar and that we are telling you throughout these pages... There are already many theoretical and practical books on the Theatre of the Oppressed, which are certainly useful for those who want to deepen the method but - believe us - with the suggestions offered by our images, with the advice and suggestions that will follow and with our DVD you could also have the possibility to start - right now - a process of the Theater of the Oppressed. Try yourself first - maybe with some close friends of you - the techniques and the games, the steps and the proposals that you want to reproduce in your workshop. Choose the activities you have liked more. Those activities that have impressed and surprised you more, those that remained in your head, body and heart. It will be a guarantee for your group work! Above all, do not be afraid to make mistakes, you will be in a group exactly for learning from your mistakes...

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobody frees no one, nobody is free by himself, we are freed together with the others.â&#x20AC;?

1 The encounter Suggestions: briefly summarize how and why you are That is the moment; you arrive at the beginning of your

there, your working hours... If your group is small you can

workshop, your first experience of the Theater of the

try to play games to learn the names, otherwise you will

Oppressed. If you remind yourself that you have nothing

remember them over time... From now on, you are the first

to teach to anyone but only a pathway to cover together,

to put yourself on the test. Often we are not used to play and

everything should be easier.

joke among adults because we are afraid of being ridiculous. You have to tear down this fear first and remember that if we all are so ridiculous... it is not ridiculous anymore!

To greet and get to know to each other... thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it! Break the ice, loosen the ties and open up slowly to the smile. And you do not really need to master esoteric techniques,

Tips: highlight the fact that no one should exceed his/her

you just have to ask their names, pick one of the many

limits, there is no need to force oneself in plays, steps,

games that you can find in different books... and to have the

situations that are â&#x20AC;&#x153;too muchâ&#x20AC;?: too tiring, too painful, too

desire to meet other people.

confusing... Let everyone be free to stop - at any time -

However, it is a very important moment; the moment when

what is doing. Try to read their bodies and their signs, be

a group of people - often unknown - decided to welcome

prepared to change an exercise, a game and a technique

you... and the magic begins.

to make it more suitable to your new group.

2 Energy in a circle Start exploring the climate of the group, feeding its energy.

Suggestions: it is funny, often surprising and paradoxically

Feeding the energy in your group is essential because it is

a new experience for everyone: walking.

the fuel for change... You can do it running wildly or walking

There are many exercises and games on walking paces

in slow motion, doing acrobatic coordination games or just

that are suitable for all types of groups. Every time that we

breathing! There is not a recipe; each group is different.

walk with renewed attention, with joy, all together... our

Let your instincts, your ability to observe and improvise

energy rises with ease.

guide you. We use the magic of the circle; whether small

Just try!

or large it is a great catalyst of energy. Games in pairs or all scattered in space, improvisation

Tips: even in a group of acrobats there is who is more or

exercises done alone or in groups... in a movement of

less in shape. Do not let your games turn in a competition,

opening and closing, we exhale and inhale and we open

an exhausting performance. You are not there for a training

our circle and then always come back inside it.

session. Always try to make the workshop enjoyable for all,

Keep the energy of the group in a smooth, pleasant

to facilitate the beauty, the smile and the desire to continue

movement...

to walk together...

3 Trust Trust is a prerequisite to tell one’s oppression and even

Suggestions: a clean, comfortable, quite environment may

more to strive to overcome them. Trust in ourselves, in the

be helpful. There is no need to play many games, even a

group, the path we have just begun. Walking on hot coals,

single one with eyes closed - if done for a reasonable time

build human pyramids, jumps from the stage... there is

without hurry - can give excellent results.

plenty of choice! For us to walk with your eyes closed is already very

Tips: we pay close attention in assuming safety positions in

much...

order not to get injured. We perform the steps from light to

There are many “game-exercises” of the Theatre of the

darkness and vice versa with the right slowness. We should

Oppressed that takes place with closed eyes, all of them

remember that at any moment we can stop the exercise or

amplify our senses and - if carried out with the necessary

continue with eyes open if we feel the need to.

care, attention and respect - they increase our trust.

4 Rituals Whether your path with the Theater of the Oppressed last a

Suggestions: be the first to propose to the group something

few hours, a few days or several weeks, it is important that

to celebrate, to honor, something that has really impressed

each phase of work, research and walk is worthily concluded

you and that has made you a richer person.

and celebrated. There are many rituals of closure for the

Often the group is just waiting for the green line to release

group. Every group should feel free to invent the best and

their flows of mutual appreciation of little but great

most suitable one for its circumstances. An expressive

happiness...

word repeated several times in a circle with a loud voice can be as effective as a longer and more complex ritual.

Tips: it is important that everyone can express himself,

What is really important - in our opinion - is to enhance

even with a smile only.

every valuable, significant, new, useful and including thing

At the same time it is important to control those that decided

the group expressed. Too often some little great moments

to express themselves with an endless monologue...

go unnoticed.

5 De-mechanization Boal said that a General moves like a general, eats like a general,

Suggestions: just one: propose something that you really

sits like a general, makes love like a general... Our social

like. Do not look for challenging exercises only for their

conditionings are embodied in our bodies and it is difficult to

fame, games that make you look more worldly-wise.

neutralize them but we are not only those mechanisms.

Sometimes a ring-a-ring-a-roses is the greatest thing in the

Inside of each one of us - even when we are 80 years old -

world!

there will always be a 4-year-old child who is trying to do make a roll. Then, the de-mechanization of the Theater of

Tips: always repeat to the group - especially during “game-

the Oppressed become a rediscovery of old and new ways

exercises” to do as a couple - not to exceed their limits. In

that our body has to enjoy the world without pretensions of

a pair of different ages, for example, it is natural that there

improbable unlocks, of great catharsis and rebirths...

are different physical abilities that we often forget in the

The “games-exercises” are indeed the many ones that

euphoria of the game running the risk of creating discomfort

you find in various books about Theatre of the Oppressed

in another person and undermining the entire exercise.

but they are also - in our opinion - all the opportunities that come into your mind to enjoy life with your body but also with your heart...

6 The sculptor and the clay The long series of modeling is the heart of the Image

Suggestions: propose to your group to terminate the use

Theatre. There are some steps that we will explain in the

of the word throughout this series, so that another language

video that shall allow you to create rich and communicative

- the nonverbal language of the images - may develop its

images in a natural and funny way. In the theater of the

full potential. The more time you spend on preparatory

Oppressed, the work on the images is often a prerequisite

exercises the easier it will be for the group let their body

for the most famous technique of the Forum Theater and is

decide how to sculpt instead of their own rationality.

not adequately appreciated. We believe that each picture is a little masterpiece in itself.

Tips: repeat it continuously: do not stay too long in positions

A deep communication with the your entire body, from a

that may be for you physically and emotionally exhausting.

human being to another up to the world. Spend much time

The clay you model is a sensible, lively and delicate clay.

in this phase. Let everyone experience fully the roles of the

Handle it with the greatest respect and the utmost care.

sculptor and the clay and - if you have the chance - capture the many sculptures created by the group, give them their proper honor.

7 Images of oppression The body thinks; the body speaks. The body tells the

Suggestions: it is always useful to bring the group to carve

stories of oppression that, hidden by the edge of the skin,

really experienced oppression, not abstract or too general

push to exit. It is amazing how the images of oppression

ones; e.g. better the blackmails received by the employer

that emerge from a group are able to communicate a social

that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the world hunger problem.â&#x20AC;? It is important to eliminate

reality beyond the words, often with greater intensity.

the verbal language throughout this stage.

The sculptor has now many types of clay, canonically from a minimum of two to a maximum consisted by the whole

Tips: the complexity of the images, the themes of

group. Actually, we believe it is better to divide a large

oppression, the length of the sculptural process can really

group into subgroups of 5-7 people in order to make the

tire the participants - pay attention to it.

work more smoothly and participated. Usually an image

Ask them to memorize their posture in detail and to loosen

of 5-7 people is still very rich and complete. It is essential

up as often as they need and then reassume their posture.

that the sculptor considered himself as an oppressed protagonist within the oppression that he/she is going to carve.

8 Readings Working with several sub-groups you have to choose an

Suggestions: it can be useful to define a sort of stage, a

image that is representative for the whole group. To do this

boundary that will help participants make the transition

you will not need to explain the meaning of the image, what

from group members to actors and actresses; a stage that

it does say nor the path of the sculptor... As Boal said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the

creates the right space to hold these artworks, these painful

meaning of the image is the image itself.â&#x20AC;?

images and this opening to the group and to the world.

Let them decide to choose which image their body is and invite the group to feel, to breathe and to loose themselves

Tips: the readings that the group will give to itself and to

in the various images. At this stage you can use the verbal

the sculptor could be very different from the intentions of

language. It is always a surprise to collect the readings from

the protagonist. Make sure that everyone experiences this

the rest of the group that looked at the represented pictures.

diversity as something that enriches their understanding of

It is an effective way to increase the level of consciousness

oppression and not as something unsettling, awkward or

with respect to an oppressive reality.

judgmental.

9 The dream We stage images of oppression in order to understand it

Suggestions: you can change your image sculpting it,

better, to bring it to light, to consciousness in our bodies

not explaining with words what to do, what to change. It is

and in our hearts. But above all we do it to break it, to defeat

important that everyone contributes to this shift from reality

it, for being free from it. In this process it is essential to dare

to the ideal, from the oppression to the dream until you get

the impossible. Without fearing of falling into the realm of

an image that is common for everybody.

magic and of the unfeasible; we ask that the group, once selected its the image of oppression, carve now the ideal

Tips: this process can be dispersive, feel free to propose

image of it.

ways to speed it up if deemed necessary to facilitate the

The image of how such oppression could - with a magic

fluidity of the group. Remember not to impose anything

wand - be transformed into a dream, into an incredibly

and to check every step with the group. After all, being a

attractive and rewarding image for everybody.

facilitator means also make things easierâ&#x20AC;Ś

10 A pebble at a time We have the image of oppression. We have the image of

Suggestions: as facilitator you are responsible for

the dream and of the ideal. Now is the time of the possible

recording the smallest detail, the smallest of pebbles... You

transformation, of the path of freedom, step by step...

are privileged witnesses of a process of social liberation;

We ask the group to change its oppressive image in the

the meaning of your work is taking place right now.

direction of that dream. Small changes and details that are

Stay nicely focused.

really feasible here - in the protected space of the Theater of the Oppressed - but also out there in our daily life.

Tips: now more than ever it is necessary to involve the

Changes from the initial image that pave their way, like

whole group. Sometimes the most brilliant insights, the

a pebble after another, to the best of all possible worlds.

slopes of change, the changes for an effective, practical

Maybe you cannot achieve the ideal image, maybe it is just

and applicable liberation are coming from that participant

a dream... To proceed in that direction is certainly feasible,

that was left in the shadows until now. Be prepared to see

increasingly undermining oppression, transforming and

in their faces, bodies and expressions even the smallest

even dissolving it. The important thing is to walk and hear,

desire to participate.

literally, that change is in our hands.

11 To collect and return If we have to summarize the work of the facilitator in a

Suggestions: together with collecting and returning, the

process of the Theater of the Oppressed, these two words

facilitator has to discuss problems. Broaden the exploration,

would be the most suitable: to collect and return. Collect

insert doubt not taken into account by the group and

carefully, as if you gather something as fragile as precious,

include other possible connections, consequences and

every action, gesture, hand, idea and movement of the

questions...

group towards liberation. Often the actor of change - the

Conscientization is the basis of this method, contribute

main character of this important step - is not fully aware of

actively in every step of the way: to collect, to discuss

the small revolution that he/her is making and neither his/her

problem and to return!

friends from the group. Often, when we live in oppression, we do not believe in what we see and the change does not

Tips: do not follow your idea of liberation; this is not your

seem possible... The facilitator has to return to the group

duty. Be ready and willing to collect and return with full

its precious pearls of change, after having collected them.

honors even the smallest step, pebble of the group. The

Repeat with joy, participation and healthy pride what you

liberation process is often long, tortuous and difficult... The

witnessed. Ask the group for confirm: is this a real a step

facilitator is not the possessor of truth, of the main road to

towards liberation? And if the group confirms, share the

liberation, always remember this, even when you feel that

strength that comes from it!

the freedom of a group is there, at hand.

12 You can do theater everywhere... Augusto Boal said that “you can do theater anywhere, even

If experiencing the energy of a group is amazing, experiment

at the theaters…” and even in the forest of Zanzibar. You do

with the liberation potential of an active audience of a few

not need anything else in order to realize a real spectacle.

hundred people is awesome!

Why should we conclude an experience of the Theater of the Oppressed with a real performance?

Suggestions: you do not need a five-stars theater. But

Well, to broaden the conscientization process, the roads

do not forget anything that could make your show better

and the pathways to freedom from oppression conquered

looking, rich, communicative and participated. Colors,

by the group to as many people as possible.

costumes, music and food can be found also in the poorest

But to conclude a demanding job, sometimes painful, with

of all theaters...

the energy of the community. Spectator, for Boal, was a “bad word.”

Tips: your role as a facilitator might became now the one

Make sure that your audience will become an extension of

of a director, set designer, choreographer and organizer…

the group; that it becomes an audience of spect-actors.

Relax: you are not alone! The resources of the groups - even in this sense - are fantastic.

Well, now you can enrich your journey in the Theater of the Oppressed world with the contents of our DVD.

This book, this video and this experience would not have been realized without the participation of this amazing group:

The pictures by Sandro Perdighe shall make you dream about Zanzibar and through interviews and insights you could better contextualize this project that lays in the world of the cooperation for development. The video by Alfredo Meschi and Graziano Vannucci reproduces all the workshops moments introduced by the photographs and detailed in the 12 steps.

KAZOLE CULTURAL GROUP: Juma Shahibu Shehe, Solomoni Mbaraka Maganga, Mohammed Abdalla Mohammed, Seif jaffar Abdalla, Makame Kundi Makame, Haji Hassan Makame, Mariam Kassim Khamis, Fatuma Suleiman Maulid, Asha Omar Khamis, Fatima Mussa Muhajiri, Nachum Mohammed Asseid, Yussuf Ali Mkanga, Mariam Hassan Othman, Ali Vuai Kwale, Machano Haji Machano, Zena Mohâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Ahmdu, Sharfu Juma Sharif, Iddi Ali Abdalla, Aji Ame Makame, Chema Silima Juma

Then, if you want to replicate such an experience, you should be ready to do it... Good life to you all!

MAKOBA MICHEZO GROUP: Juma Mwalim Juma, Juma Juma, Khamis Mohammed Simba, Khamis Shazil Haji, Khamis Juma Abbas, Haji Mwarab Ndende, Khamis Mshenga, Mohammed Haji, Juma Machano, Suleiman Abdallah, Mwiny Khamis, Ismail Pande Bupu, Pande Idrissa

Special thanks to all the people who have helped and supported us during this experience: Mario Milanesi, Alessia Lombardo, Giuditta Caimi, drivers and employees of ACRA in Zanzibar, Elena Ranaldo, Alfredo Meschi, Sandro Perdighe and Graziano Vannucci.

Appendix

International Theater of the Oppressed Organization: Declaration of Principles

Theatre of the Oppressed 9) The Theatre of the Oppressed offers everyone the aesthetic means to analyze their past, in the context of their present, and subsequently to invent their future, without waiting for it. The Theatre of the Oppressed helps human beings to recover a language they already possess - we learn how to live in society by playing theatre. We learn how to feel by feeling; how to think by thinking; how to act by acting. Theatre of the Oppressed is rehearsal for reality. 10) The oppressed are those individuals or groups who are socially, culturally, politically, economically, racially, sexually, or in any other way deprived of their right to Dialogue or in any way impaired to exercise this right. 11) Dialogue is defined as to freely exchange with others, as a person and as a group, to participate in human society as equal, to respect differences and to be respected. 12) The Theatre of the Oppressed is based upon the principle that all human relationships should be of a dialogic nature: among men and women, races, families, groups and nations, dialogue should prevail. In reality, all dialogues have the tendency to become monologues, which creates the relationship oppressors - oppressed. Acknowledging this reality, the main principle of Theatre of the Oppressed is to help restore dialogue among human beings.

PrĂŠamble 1) The basic aim of the Theatre of the Oppressed is to humanize Humanity. 2) The Theatre of the Oppressed is a system of Exercises, Games and Techniques based on the Essential Theatre, to help men and women to develop what they already have inside themselves: theatre. Essential Theatre 3) Every human being is theatre! 4) Theatre is defined as the simultaneous existence - in the same space and context - of actors and spectators. Every human being is capable of seeing the situation and seeing him/herself in the situation. 5) Essential theatre consists of three elements: Subjective Theatre, Objective Theatre and the Theatrical Language 6) Every human being is capable of acting: to survive, we necessarily have to produce actions and observe those actions and their effects on the environment. To be Human is to be Theatre: the co-existence of actor and spectator in the same individual. This is the Subjective Theatre. 7) When human beings limit themselves to observing an object, a person or a space, renouncing momentarily to their capacity and necessity of acting, the energy and their desire to act is transferred to that space, person or object, creating a space inside a space: an Aesthetic Space. This is the Objective Theatre. 8) All human beings use, in their daily lives, the same language that actors use on the stage: their voices, their bodies, their movements and their expressions; they translate their emotions and desires into the Theatrical Language.

Principles and Objectives 13) The Theatre of the Oppressed is a worldwide non-violent aesthetic movement which seeks peace, not passivity. 14) The Theatre of the Oppressed tries to activate people in a humanistic endeavor expressed by its very name: theatre of, by, and for the oppressed. A system that enables people to act in the fiction of theatre to become protagonists, i.e. acting subjects, of their own lives.

Appendix 15) The Theatre of the Oppressed is neither an ideology nor a political party, neither dogmatic nor coercive and is respectful of all cultures. It is a method of analysis and a means to develop happier societies. Because of its humanistic and democratic nature, it is widely used all over the world, in all fields of social activities such as: education, culture, arts, politics, social work, psychotherapy, literacy programs and health. In the annex to this Declaration of Principles, a number of exemplary projects are listed to illustrate the nature and the scope of its use. 16) Theatre of the Oppressed is now being used in approx. half the nations around the world, listed in the annex, as a tool for the making of discoveries about oneself and about the Other, of clarifying and expressing our desires; a tool for the changing of circumstances which produce unhappiness and pain and for the enhancement of what brings peace; for respecting differences between individuals and groups and for the inclusion of all human beings in Dialogue; and finally a tool for the achievement of economical and social justice, which is the foundation of true democracy. Summarizing, the general objective of the Theatre of the Oppressed is the development of essential Human Rights. The International Theatre of the Oppressed Organization (ITO) 17) The ITO is an organization that coordinates and enhances the development of Theatre of the Oppressed all over the world, according to the principles and objectives of this Declaration. 18) The ITO does so by connecting Theatre of the Oppressed practitioners into a global network, fostering exchange and methodical development; by facilitating training and multiplication of the existing techniques; by conceiving projects on a global scale; by the stimulation of the creation of local Centers for Theatre of the Oppressed (CTO’s); by promoting and creating conditions for the work of CTO’s and practitioners and by creating an international meeting point on the internet.

19) The ITO is of the same humanistic and democratic nature as its principles and objectives; it will incorporate any contributions from those who are working under this Declaration of Principles. 20) The ITO will assume that anyone using the various techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed subscribes to this Declaration of Principles.

Augusto Boal Augusto Boal (March 16th, 1931 - May 2nd, 2009). He was born in Rio de Janeiro and has been director of the Teatro de Arena (São Paulo) from 1956 to 1971, when was expelled from Brazil. He exiled to Argentina, then to Peru (where began to formulate the games of the political arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed,) and then in France where he settled until 1991, creating the techniques of the Flic-dans-la-tete. Back in Rio de Janeiro, he was elected Vereador (a sort of city councilor) for the Party dos Trabalhadores and carried out his political-theatrical mandate applying the Legislative Theatre in Rio and in other Brazilian and European cities such as London. He was the author of dramaturgical texts and theoretical books, some of them translated in thirty-five languages. In 2008 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and in 2009 and was named global ambassador for the theater on behalf of UNESCO. Sources: Giolli / ITO

Indice The encounter Energy in a circle Trust Rituals De-mechanize oneself The sculptor and the clay Images of Oppression Readings The dream A peddle at a time To collect and return You can do theater everywhere

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

The project by ACRA The Theater of the Oppressed in Zanzibar Asante sana! What is the Theater of the Oppressed? 12 steps to set off with the Theater of the Oppressed

24 25 26 38 40

Acknowledgements

Appendix International Theater of the Oppressed Organization â&#x20AC;&#x153;ITOâ&#x20AC;?: Declaration of principles Augusto Boal

56 57