Theatre of the Oppressed Training 26th-27th November

The Theatre of the Oppressed workshop is designed for artists and creatives from all sectors, for anyone who could benefit from a deep insight into applied drama techniques.

Participants will be equipped with knowledge of the Theatre of the Oppressed technique and participatory theatre practices. In addition, they will have the chance to explore means of devising dramatic content and narratives and tips in facilitating creative programs for education purposes.

This experience is for actors and non-actors interested in using Theatre as a tool for communication, debate and social change within their communities. It is a MUST for theatre practitioners, social activists, teachers, community workers, charity representatives and youth workers.

26th and 27th November
Saturday 10-18h
Sunday 10-14H
Cambridge 

Fee  Early bird 130 Pounds  before 1st October

        After 1st October, 150 POUNDS

Options of payment:
https://bit.ly/3Tkwogz

Limited spaces

If you have any questions, please write us at info@actingnow.co.uk.

How does it work?

 
The Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) methodology was created by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal. It is an applied drama technique and participatory theatre practice which empowers audiences and individuals for social change. In an oppressive political and social landscape, Boal’s efforts consisted in establishing a dialog between audience and stage with the aim of exploring the real needs and issues of his community. The theatrical act by itself is a conscious intervention, a rehearsal for social action based on a collective analysis of shared problems of oppression.

The workshop is designed to strengthen community activation and trust-building through interactive exercises developed from the fundamentals of The Theatre of the Oppressed.

 We will explore together the following parts:

  1. Trust-building games. Games are the foundation of Theatre of the Oppressed. They are a way to create relationships between actors and “spect-actors” (traditionally known as the audience), or between members of a community. Games are used to identify the images, sounds, and words that surround us, and to begin to examine and understand them. These games also develop collective awareness, sensory and spatial awareness, and improvisational skills.
  2. Image Theatre. This technique uses the human body as a tool of representing feelings, ideas, and relationships. Through sculpting others or using our own body to demonstrate a position, participants create solo and ensemble image sculptures that reflect an impression of a situation, story, or relationship.

Forum Theatre. A Forum Theatre is a fully interactive performance followed by a safe group dynamic in which the people in the audience have the chance to get up on stage and solve some of the problems the characters face. The show triggers a frank discussion with particular emphasis on the emotions involved on both sides of a dilemma.

What do you gain?

Acquire practical skills by experimenting with different TO techniques, such as trust-building games and image theatre

Learn about the theory and the background of TO and its various techniques
Explore how the methodology of Theatre of the Oppressed can be used as a form of participatory communication for social change

Discuss and explore how workshops of TO could be implemented in everyday work with vulnerable collectives

POLYPHONIC II at THE JUNCTION

POLYPHONIC II - A home the size of our planet

Saturday 20th July 2019 at 7.15pm

Cambridge Junction, Clifton Way, Cambridge CB1 7GX

Following the successful first showing of Polyphonic II earlier this year, Acting Now and Polygon Arts, in association with the MEITS Research project, will be performing the play again at The Cambridge Hotbed Festival.

This original theatre performance regarding the many ways we think of home, was devised by individuals from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and is a collection of stories that look at stepping outside our comfort zone, searching and exploring, fitting in and falling out. An emotional journey concerning how we relate to the concept of home and where we feel we belong or want to be. If home is not the place where we were born or grew up, what is it?

Book tickets here

Tickets: £8 / £7 concession

Suitable for age 8+

Polyphonic II is the second community theatre production commissioned by the MEITS Research project with the aim to bring stories of everyday multilingual lives to a wider audience. This play is the result of a 6-month project working with individuals drawn from a dozen linguistic backgrounds to explore how speaking more than one language and living in a foreign country affects their lives.

Our first play, Polyphonic, was performed in October 2018 as part of the Festival of Ideas (Cambridge). Please visit this  link to see a trailer.

About the project partners

The Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals Transforming Societies (MEITS) research project is a major interdisciplinary research project funded under the AHRC Open World Research Initiative. Through six interlocking research strands we investigate how the insights gained from stepping outside a single language, culture and mode of thought are vital to individuals and societies. For more information visit www.meits.org

Acting Now and Polygon Arts are both Cambridge-based theatre companies who work with a wide variety of community groups and organisations. We put social, political and civic causes at the forefront of our work and devise creative drama projects that breathe life into the important social challenges facing participants and audiences alike. Please visit www.actingnow.co.uk and www.polygonarts.org.uk for more information.

New Acting Courses

Physical Theatre courses: Beginners and Intermediate
8 weekly sessions starting in October 2019
Early-bird prices before 9th September

Tickets

Join our new Physical Theatre acting courses starting in October! We will be running two groups - Beginners and Intermediate.

Physical Theatre

Physical theatre is a genre of performance which makes use of the body (as opposed to the spoken word) as the primary means of performance and communication with an audience. Physical theatre can be distinguished from dance in that it tends to focus more on narrative, character and action. Acting Now uses the pedagogy of Jacques Lecoq, one of the finest teachers of acting in our time. As Lecoq’s puts it “the body knows things about which the mind is ignorant”.

Beginners Course

A great opportunity to explore or continue exploring Physical Theatre Techniques. Our workshops are an alternative to conventional drama lessons and are based on body movement, freedom and creativity. Students will continue practicing physical exercises, improvisation and movement, and will be encouraged to devise their own short solo and ensemble theatre pieces, developing self-awareness and discovering the expressive possibilities of their body, gestures and voice.

This acting course will focus on:

- The body, its sensitivity and expressiveness: the course will make the students highly conscious of how their own bodies can move. Students will be introduced to bodily and spatial awareness, exploration of truthful expression and personal creativity, the importance of observation of the world and its movements as well as ensemble and solo improvisation.

- The poetry of the movement: the body will be trained to transform life into poetry. By using the poetry of the body students develop creative possibilities. Stories go beyond realism into another stage of imagination. By the end of the course, the students will have acquired a broad palette of physical theatre techniques.

- Voice: in physical theatre, voice originates in the body and the two are inseparable. We will look at the expressiveness and possibilities of using voice in performance, vocal improvisation and using text in physical theatre.

WHEN: 8 consecutive sessions on Thursdays starting 3rd October 2019

TIME: 18.30 - 21.00

WHERE: Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street, Cambridge CB1 3UZ

Intermediate

This course will continue to build on the main aspects of performer training, developing your physical and spatial awareness, sense of rhythm and interconnection with fellow participants.

We will take a deeper look not only at the physical work, but also at using voice, objects and text in physical theatre. We will also explore the notion of ‘abstract’ and the crucial role it plays in performance. Each week, the teacher will introduce different strategies for putting short scenes together, which will be created by the participants and presented in a safe, friendly and encouraging environment.

This acting course will focus on:

- The body, its sensitivity and expressiveness: the course will make the students highly conscious of how their own bodies can move. Students will be introduced to bodily and spatial awareness, exploration of truthful expression and personal creativity, the importance of observation of the world and its movements as well as ensemble and solo improvisation.

- The poetry of the movement: the body will be trained to transform life into poetry. By using the poetry of the body students develop creative possibilities. Stories go beyond realism into another stage of imagination. By the end of the course, the students will have acquired a broad palette of physical theatre techniques.

- Voice: in physical theatre, voice originates in the body and the two are inseparable. We will look at the expressiveness and possibilities of using voice in performance, vocal improvisation and using text in physical theatre.

WHEN: 8 consecutive sessions on Wednesdays starting 2nd October 2019

TIME: 18.30 - 21.00

WHERE: Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street, Cambridge CB1 3UZ

MEET THE TEACHER

Judita Vivas is a Lithuanian actress and physical theatre artist. She is a Physical Theatre Practitioner with Acting Now, Associate Artist of DUENDE, and Research Collaborator on Icarus Performance Project (Malta). She is also Founder and Co-Director of Foxtale Ensemble (international female theatre collective) as well as Double Trouble (female theatre-duo with Miriam Gould).

Since 2008, Judita has trained with various international theatre practitioners, devised and performed in a large number of performance projects in Europe and the UK, and collaborated with theatre and multimedia artists. Her performances are physically and visually dynamic, drawing on real stories, mythologies and autobiographical narratives. Judita is passionate about socially engaged theatre projects and connecting with different communities. She regularly leads theatre classes and workshops where she combines somatic sensitivity with movement, ensemble work, storytelling and playfully experimentation with tangible materials.

PRICES FOR BOTH COURSES

General: £140 / Concession £120 (students, senior, unwaged)

Early Bird (before 9th September): General £118 / Concession £102 (students, senior, unwaged)

N.B. Refund policy. In the event of cancellation, we will refund your payment in full if you let us know 30 days before the start of the course. If for unforeseen reasons, your availability changes while the course is running and you cannot complete it, we will be happy to discount the remainder of the sessions if you book another course, but refunds won't be available.

Get your tickets here

For more information contact Lindsey at hello@actingnow.co.uk or 07967 664357