Educational work of Plavo Theatre with young migrants and asylum seekers in the Republic of Serbia

  1. Barter / Razmena:

First workshop sessions were held inside of the refugee camp Krnjaca, where most families and minors, without accompanying adults, were accommodated. The youth in camp didn’t have many programs or activities during the day and they were honestly thrilled with theatrical workshops.  The participants were coming from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Ghana, Burundi, and Sudan. It was an opportunity for them to free their playful and creative energy and to express through traditional songs, dances, or playing of musical instruments for and with each other. That is why we have entitled these sessions in the camp – “Barter”. The most important feedback from this phase of work came from several participants, who said: “Thank you so much for bringing a smile into the camp”.

Prve radionice su bile održane u migrantskom kampu u Krnjači, gde su uglavnom smeštene porodice i maloletnici, bez pratnje odraslih. U kampu nije bilo puno programa i aktivnosti za mlade tokom dana i bili su iskreno uzbuđeni zbog pozorišnih radionica. Učesnici su bili iz Avganistana, Sirije, Irana, Iraka, Libana, Gane, Burundija, Sudana. To je bila prilika za njih da oslobode svoju igrajuću i kreativnu energiju i da se izraze kroz tradicionalne pesme, plesove i sviranje instrumenata za druge i sa drugima. Zato smo ove sesije u kampu nazvali „Razmena“. Više učesnika je nakon rada imalo komentar: „Hvala vam što ste doneli osmeh u kamp“, i to je za nas najznačajnija reakcija iz ove faze rada.

  1. First cycle of educational work / Prvi ciklus edukativnog rada:

When the work was transferred to Plavo Theatre’s space and more protected conditions of work, the participants were able to have a closer insight into methodological elements of contemporary theatre. Exercises represented the introduction into the basic principles of work with energy, with vocal and physical activity, with the partner, but also of work in the area of individual human experience, in order to open one inner, emotional content. This work was, for participants, a kind of discovery of different possibilities and aspects of contemporary theatre, from theatre as a place of communication to theatre as a place of self-development and social inclusion.

Kada smo iz kampa prešli u prostor Plavog pozorišta i zaštićenije uslove rada, učesnici su dobili priliku da se bliže upoznaju sa metodološkim osnovama savremenog pozorišta. Vežbe su predstavljale uvod u bazične principe rada sa energijom,sa fizičkom i vokalnom akcijom, sa partnerom, ali i rada u sferi individualnog ljudskog iskustva, kako bi se otvorio sopstveni unutrašnji, emocionalni sadržaj. Ovaj rad je za učesnike bio neka vrsta otkrivanja različitih mogućnostiiI aspekata savremenog pozorišta, od pozorišta kao mesta komunikacije do mesta ličnog razvoja i socijalne inkluzije.

  1. Second cycle of educational work / Drugi ciklus edukativnog rada:

During this cycle of work in Plavo Theatre’s space, the participants, which already had some basic knowledge, were able to enter the sphere of actors training and to gain a certain level of performing skill, besides just being well informed. Different kinds of training (training with the drum, training of initiative, training with the sound, vocal training) aimed at increasing the expressive capacities of participants, through enhancing their capacities of attentiveness and presence, vocal and physical consciousness and discipline, team awareness, and initiative, releasing of their emotions and energy.

Tokom ovog ciklusa rada u sali Plavog pozorišta, učesnici, koji su već posedovali neka osnovna predznanja, imali su priliku da zađu u sferu  glumačkog treninga i sticanja određenog nivoa scenske veštine, pored proste informisanosti. Različite vrste treninga (trening sa bubnjem, trening inicijative, trening sa zvukom, vokalni trening) imale su cilj da povećaju expresivne kapacitete učesnika, kroz povećanje kapaciteta pažnje i prisustva, vokalne i fizičke osvešćenosti I discipline, timske sposobnosti i inicijativnosti, energetske i emocionalne oslobođenosti.

  1. Working on the performance / Rad na predstavi:

In this phase of work, participants were creating actors’ physical, vocal, and textual materials, tangling their personal stories, memories, dreams… Together with the leaders of the work, theoretical sessions were organized to reach the common ground in creating and understanding the dramaturgy and communication code of the future performance. After creating the practical and theoretical material, the montage of content into a performance and a run through rehearsals followed. The participants at this point were empowered enough not just to express their inner content, but to play around with it and even fulfilled the highest of theatre requirements, which is entertainment.

U ovoj fazi rada, učesnici su stvarali glumačke fizičke, vokalne i tekstualne materijale, zasnovane na njihovim ličnim pričama, sećanjima, snovima… Zajedno sa voditeljima rada, organizovane su teoretske sesije, kako bi se postigli saglasnost i razumevanje oko dramaturške koncepcije i koda komunikacije buduće predstave. Nakon stvaranja praktičnog i teoretskog materijala, usledila je montaža ovog sadržaja u celinu predstave, kao i njeno progonjenje. Do ovog trenutka, učesnici su bili već dovoljno osnaženi ne samo da izraze svoj unutrašnji sadržaj, već i da se poigravaju sa njim, ispunjavajući tako najteži zahtev pozorišne umetnosti, a to je da bude zabavna.

  1. Performance “Presentation” / Predstava “Prezentacija”:

The title and the ironic format of “presentation” are playing around the uselessness of the attempt to present something which is unspeakable in its totality, such as needings, sufferings, aspirations, and other inner content of an individual. Such absurd “presentation” should put a light on the situation that refugees around the world are facing when coming to a new society. Since they have left everything behind, their home, family, friends, language, and profession, and since their identity has been stripped down to a single and basic one – identity of a human being, as such, they have difficulties being recognized by the society. But they could and should be recognized by other individual human beings. With our performance, we wanted to give a contribution to this idea.

Naslov i ironični format „prezentacije“ se poigravaju sa uzaludnošću pokušaja da se prezentuje ono što je neizrecivo u celini, kao što su žudnje, patnje, težnje i drugi unutrašnji sadržaji u pojedincu. Ovako apsurdna „prezentacija“ bi trebalo da baci svetlo na situaciju sa kojom se susreću izbeglice širom sveta, kada dolaze u novo društvo. Pošto su za sobom ostavili sve, dom, porodicu, prijatelje, jezik i profesiju i pošto je njihov identitet sveden na jedan jedini, osnovni, a to je ljudsko biće, oni imaju poteškoće da kao takvi budu prepoznati od strane društva. Ali bi moglo i trebalo da budu prepoznati od strane drugih, pojedinačnih ljudskih bića. Ovom predstavom smo želeli da damo svoj doprinos toj ideji.

Presentation

Performance – presentation of Plavo Theatre educational work with young people

Performers: Christa Maniratunga, Christian Ngoma, Reza Haidary, Anton Fevronin, Zakiullah Majidi, Masa Jelic, Dejan Stojkovic
Leaders of the work: Masa Jelic, Dejan Stojkovic
Set and costume design: Plavo Theatre
Technical assistance: Jasmina Knezevic

This performance came out from a theatrical journey of migrants and asylum seekers in Serbia. Leaders of that journey were actors of Plavo Theatre, who tried to provide the participants with tools to express their stories, difficulties, dreams, and memories. And this is what makes the content of our performance.

The title and the ironic format of “presentation” are playing around the uselessness of the attempt to present something which is unspeakable in its totality, such as needings, sufferings, aspirations, and other inner content of an individual. Such absurd “presentation” should put a light on the situation that refugees around the world are facing when coming to a new society. Since they have left everything behind, their home, family, friends, language, and profession, and since their identity has been stripped down to a single and basic one – identity of a human being, as such, they have difficulties being recognized by the society. But they could and should be recognized by other individual human beings. With our performance, we wanted to give a contribution to this idea.

Prezentacija

Predstava – prezentacija edukativnog rada Plavog pozorišta sa mladima

Izvođači: Christa Maniratunga, Christian Ngoma, Reza Haidary, Anton Fevronin, Zakiullah Majidi, Maša Jelić, Dejan Stojković
Voditelji rada: Maša Jelić, Dejan Stojković
Dizajn scenografije i kostima: Plavo pozorište
Tehnička pomoć: Jasmina Knezević

Ova predstava je nastala iz jednog teatarskog putovanja migranata i tražilaca azila u Srbiji. Na tom putu, vodiči su bili glumci Plavog pozorišta, koji su učesnicima pokušali da pruže sredstva kojima bi izrazili svoje priče, teškoće, sećanja i snove. I to je ono što čini sadržaj naše predstave.

Naslov i ironični format „prezentacije“ se poigravaju sa uzaludnošću pokušaja da se prezentuje ono što je neizrecivo u celini , kao što su žudnje, patnje, težnje i drugi unutrašnji sadržaji u pojedincu. Ovako apsurdna „prezentacija“ bi trebalo da baci svetlo na situaciju sa kojom se susreću izbeglice širom sveta, kada dolaze u novo društvo. Pošto su za sobom ostavili sve, dom, porodicu, prijatelje, jezik i profesiju i pošto je njihov identitet sveden na jedan jedini, osnovni, a to je ljudsko biće, oni imaju poteškoće da kao takvi budu prepoznati od strane društva. Ali bi moglo i trebalo da budu prepoznati od strane drugih, pojedinačnih ljudskih bića. Ovom predstavom smo želeli da damo svoj doprinos toj ideji.

Video recording of the performance Presentation