02 May 2012

Theatre of the Oppressed Course

Ideal for (but certainly not exclusive to) anyone working with 'oppressed groups' like young people, disabled people, ex offenders, Theatre in Education or if you want to learn new skills and MORE!

THE WORKSHOP:
Participants are taken through various Theatre of the Oppressed/Boal techniques for acting and devising. Characterisation and staging methods are studied and applied practically throughout. The need to understand the subtext and the real life of the character within the play are emphasised through development outside of the confines of the play. Participants will adapt invisible, image, and rainbow exercises for rehearsal techniques. Participants will leave with an arsenal of techniques to apply both individually and as an ensemble in future productions.

THE WORKSHOP LEADER:
Jennifer Hartley went on to study direction and acting after completing a degree in English Literature and Linguistics in Glasgow, Scotland. After a number of directing theatre ventures in the UK and abroad she began working in South America where she produced and directed theatre in both Spanish & English. As well as teaching and lecturing on both drama theory and practice, Jennifer specialised in therapy through drama working extensively with theories and methodology related to Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. Through study and practise Jennifer developed her own working practise from these methods, a practise she now uses to work with minority and oppressed groups internationally. This in turn has led to a number of studies, publications and works including plays, academic articles, and poetry. Jennifer regularly works on various theatre projects both community and therapy based, from which new writing is also being developed, including a theory based book on the application of the methods in use. After a number of years teaching and lecturing in Theatre and drama Jennifer is now dedicating her time to writing (with the completion of a first novel planned for later this year) & directing theatre. She continues to teach through conducting workshops, training & various theatre projects when her schedule allows.

AUGUSTO BOAL:
The Theatre of the Oppressed describes a range of theatrical forms that the Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal first elaborated in the 1960s, initially in Brazil and later in Europe. Boal was influenced by the work of the educator and theorist Paulo Freire. Boal's techniques use theatre as means of knowledge and transformation of reality in the social and relational field. In the Theatre of the Oppressed, the audience becomes active, such that as 'spect-actors' they explore, show, analyze and transform the reality in which they are living.