Circlusion.A Circus Performance as a Social Intervention

«Creating a circus performance with a social message»

Main workshop

Creating a new performing language

Main goal of this workshop is to lead a group of artists from different nationalities in a presentable outcome (a performance) about racism within the timetable of 5 days.

During the first part of the workshop all artists will be trained in circus arts and contemporary body expression as a group. By this procedure, group will acquaint a common kinetic vocabulary that will contribute in creating a common performance.

The second part will be based on artistic improvisations based on kinetic and physical theatre instructions. Through physical theatre improvisation members of the performing group will have the change of a useful and creative insight of their own none socially filtered attitudes and reactions in situations such as exclusion, violent outbursts or acceptance and affection. Deeper self-knowledge and sensitivity will arise.

The target is to create stage situations capable of communicating with the audience emotionally and sentimentally using the techniques and vocabulary of circus. Using as a theme the concept of racism we will explore and invent ways to describe and narrate on stage.

Of great importance will be the fact that tutors, organizers and participants of this workshop will co-exist in these 5 days in a camp, operating as a community. Sleeping, cooking, working, and

  restoring a camp in the nature as a group, will give the opportunity to its members to come closer and experience a multicultural exchange to all its levels promoting thus their functionality and creativity both as a group of performers but as a human beings and active citizens as well.

Creating thus this unique and special poetic function that we define “a performance” we hope to contain even a salvation for both the audience and performers from social phenomena so dark and difficult to express as racism.

The created performance will be presented for free in the hosting city (Thessaloniki) having as visitors within its audience young people from both disadvantaged and privileged social groups having most probably experienced racism both as victimizers and victims.

Facilitator

Sougioultzi Christina, Circus and Dance performer

“Ki Omos Kineitai” Performance group www.kiomoskineitai.gr

Side workshop

“Experiencing in practice Human rights education”

DCIM100GOPRO

Human Rights education is an experiential procedure providing to its acceptors the development of new values, knowledge and attitudes towards the debate on Human Rights.

In this workshop Human Rights education will be processed by the use of European Commissions’ Manual in human rights training “Compass”. Using all non formal education methods participants will come one step closer to get familiarized with their own perceptions about human rights, discrimination and xenophobia so as to be able to use their inner stimuli for the created performance.

The implementation of the entire course will be based on participatory, creative and interactive teaching methods in order for the active involvement of the participants to be secured. Energisers, icebreakers and team building games will be used throughout the course. Through participatory approaches and techniques including presentation and discussion, working groups, case studies, problem-solving/brainstorming, simulation/role-playing and practical exercises, trainers will fully involve participants in the training process and sensitize them to their own potential of contributing to the outcome and the impact of the course in a short-term and a long-term basis.

Facilitator

Marianthi Mota, Circus and Dance performer, Human Rights Trainer