theatre for urban socio-political transformation
the problem:
Too often students of urban environments are silenced when attending institutions of public education. These students learn differently then their non minority peers and experience life in a very different capacity. Yet the education system refuses to address these environmental and socio-political sensitivities required to effectively teach children from an urban minority setting. Effective teachers for students of minorities are largely under represented throughout the American public school system. In addition, with the No Child Left Behind act, minority student's languages are eradicated, and thus are up to 60% more likely to fail or not graduate from high school. The growing proportion of unqualified educators of Caucasian ethnicity is growing within academic institutions and failure rates for minorities, not Caucasians, are on a sharp incline. Students of minority must be given the same opportunities to success as their caucasian counterparts.
vital stats:
people impacted:
40people involved:
20why it's important:
As a citizen of a free and equal democratic nation, it is my responsibility to promote, protect and foster the foundations of this country. There can no longer be a separate but equal educational system. No longer can we live in a society were white ideals and philosophies are hindering the progress of a nation of diversity. The education system must meet the demands of its current citizens and with a minority drop out rate, here in the city of boston as high as 75%, something must be done. I refuse to live in a country where students are set up for failure due to their natural born race by a system of archaic philosophy. And I'm not leaving.
the plan of action:
Provide a 12 week theatre program that allows students the venue to voice their silence. Through the use of theatre students will explore a range of material across a variety of curricula. Students engaged in the workshop will be actively engaged in and proficient in the teachings and philosophies of Brazilian theatre philosopher and practitioner, Augusto Boal and his method titled, Theatre of the Oppressed. Theatre of the Oppressed will be used as a means in gathering a visceral exploration of an individuals socio-political status and the oppressions he/or she faces both internally and externally. Every student then becomes an active participant, so as to take all personal experiences and explore, show, analyze and transform both the experience and the reality in which the students are or may be living in for the better.The centralized theory of such work is that Theatre of the Oppressed is the art and game of dialogue: students will play and thus learn together. Such games have both discipline and freedom. Through these games and improvisations we seek to gather the necessary information that becomes stored in our minds and our bodies that perpetuates or causes our internalized oppression. The discipline of our game is our belief that we that we must re-establish the right of everyone to exist in dignity and equality. We believe that all of us are more, and much better, than what we think we are. The solution lied in inventing ways to help to humanize Humanity, freely invading all fields of human activities: social, pedagogical, political, and artistic. Theatre is a Language and so it can be used to speak about all human concerns, not to be limited to theatre itself. In reality, theatre is the art of story telling, and more frequently then not, humans remember stories. If we can learn to tell the story of history, or science, of math or any other subjects, the students of this country will remember and thus succeed in a very personalized and individual form of discovery.
how you can get involved:
By participating in learning this technique to incorporate into other educational venues and environments. Volunteering as a program aide and assistant. Donating to the cause to provide for materials ranging from technology to theatrical equipment. Participating in the train the trainer sessions, where one can learn the practice of Theatre of the Oppressed.
project updates:
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