Forum-theatre

Forum Theatre - interactive methods of work among different strata of society, aimed at solving social problems.

The essence of the method of Forum Theatre - a search under the proposed performance - along with the participants and the participants - ways to solve problems or exit from a difficult life situation.

Forum Theatre provides an opportunity not only to understand the problem and establish the relationship of man to a negative phenomenon, but also acquire skills to find ways to solve problems using their own experiences and those of others, including the possibility of subconscious and emotional intelligence.

Mastering the technique of Forum Theatre and its use in further work with young people in the regions was a new development SHRV the next step. It is a logical progressiveness towards deepening and concretization of social work.

Leading / Leading Forum Theatre (or joker) before the show introduces the audience, a problem that will illuminate the performance. After showing several scenes of the leading / leading on-line survey by the audience figures out the level of awareness of the problem and its consequences for society as a whole and the individual. If necessary, extracts a few problems pronouncing them. It turns out, who is suffering from oppression describe the situation, and who knowingly or unknowingly becomes the oppressor. Viewers are invited once again to see the play, and if they have a useful suggestion to suspend the action.

Search for possible ways to change the situation for the better offer viewers themselves - members and participants of Forum Theatre. At the time, when re-playing the play a chance to improve the situation and the participants, and participants have an idea how to do it, he or she says "Stop!" Enters the scene, replaced by the protagonist (a character suffering from oppression), and shows as, in his / her opinion, should behave and what to say to change the situation for the better.

This technique uses the experience we have acquired training and interactive theater. Combining technology to provide information and skills through training and impact on the subconscious feelings caused created an interactive theater artistic images, forum-theater impact on emotional intelligence of a human, forming a creative approach to solving the problem.

Forum Theatre - a technique still not widespread in Ukraine, although it has long and effectively used in half of the world as a way to make society more than happy, as a way to open oneself and others, define and express our desires; tool that can change the circumstances that cause misery and pain; tool to find a solution that brings peace. Forum Theatre is a language that helps us understand and develop emotional awareness (emotional intelligence) and develop a creative approach to the positive problem-solving.

There is a Declaration of Principles of Forum Theatre. In this Declaration, adopted by the International Theatre of the oppressed ", denotes the main purpose of the Theatre of the oppressed - to humanize society. Theatre of the oppressed is identified as a system of exercises, games and techniques that are based on "essential theater", which aims to help men and women develop the fundamental beginning - that is inherent in them as human beings: THEATRE.

The main theme of the performances of Forum Theatre is a situation of oppression and violence in its various manifestations, so the theater itself is called the Theatre of the Oppressed.

The main objective Forum Theatre - providing information and acquiring skills permission of the problem with a particular person, the experience of other people and connecting opportunities own emotional intelligence.

The themes of the Forum Theatre productions can be a variety of problems of society: the relationship between family members, employees, representatives of different nations, cultures, religions, HIV-infected people with disabilities, the issues of healthy lifestyles, drug and alcohol abuse, trafficking, etc. n.

Thus, the stage show presents for consideration the social problem, and each character performs a social role. The protagonist - a victim of the situation, other characters - his entourage: family, school, members of the society. Participation of doctors, policemen, psychologists, and teachers. Number of characters due to script a particular situation.

During participation in the forum-theater audiences have the opportunity to not only see the difficult situation, as in an interactive theater, or obtain information, both during training and and algorithms created by the model successful behavior in a complex, at first glance - a hopeless, situation .

Playing the main roles in the interaction with the audience should follow the features of the nature of their characters, but must also consider and respond to the effect (response) viewer.

Each performance is Forum Theatre is unique because it involves not only actors but also the spectators. During the performance the actors play out the familiar audience problem situation from real life, and the audience for a few hours of "live" this situation by passing it through itself, presenting yourself in the place of the hero and trying to make a difference.

In its role as an actor instead, the viewer deeper into the emotional experience of the main character, experiencing the result of his intervention. Trying to self-involvement can lead the viewer to a different view on the problem and an even chance of finding a way out of difficult situations. Audience involved in the process of empathy, drama, played out by actors, the audience becomes a drama.

Spectators watching the events unfolding on stage, learning the situation, have the opportunity to assess a person's behavior on the part and express their vision of the behavioral changes in the events that lead to an improvement in general. Such methods to improve the situation could be much, because each member of the audience - his own experience in solving problems, and he is ready to share this experience with others.

One feature of Forum Theatre is the lack of recommendations viewers how to behave, because everyone makes the choice himself, and nobody can tell him how to act in a particular situation. During production, each person can move to suspend play to his own example to show how, in his view, the protagonist could make a difference.

Technology Forum Theatre can be applied in different situations with different purpose: either to help one particular individual - HIV-positive victims of violence, a person with disabilities, drug addiction, or change the views of society on the issue, the conduct of members of society in relation to the depressed person or influence (lobbying certain members of society) on the authorities to improve legislation and the adoption of certain decisions at the local level.

Target Groups Forum Theatre:

Target groups with whom the Forum Theatre, include:

• Actually, the oppressed, who were in a difficult situation and suffer from various forms of violence or self-dependence - HIV-infected people, drug addicts, victims of trafficking or sexual exploitation;

• ordinary members of society who may find themselves in difficult situations because of ignorance and that lack of information or personal experience to prevent the problem - teenagers from problematic families, inmates of orphanages, prisoners of the colonies;

• Not less important is to work with influential people, which should improve the situation in the society through preventive measures and assistance to people suffering from oppression - social workers, doctors, law enforcers, members of nongovernmental organizations.

Forum Theatre is suitable for any person or group of people who might identify themselves as victims of oppression.

Aims and objectives of Forum Theatre

Ideally, this technique can be used as a preventative tool to prevent human contact in problem situations and simulation of the possible ways out of a situation in which turned out to be an oppressed people - by providing him with information and acquiring skills, solve a specific problem with the experience of other people and connecting opportunities for their own emotional intelligence.

Tasks forum theater depends on the task force members and participants, which we're currently working. Depending on the job, delivered before a specific event chosen technique of Forum Theatre.

Working with a group of oppressed, we aim to help the depressed person to find a way out of difficult situations, to see new ways of solving problems. This is - work in orphanages, disability organizations, crisis centers with victims of violence. Every oppressed person has a certain, albeit limited, experience, dealing with the same as himself, but having a different experience out of a difficult situation, he gets the experience of others. Communication takes place in a relaxed atmosphere, no one nobody imposes his opinions, no one forces do so and because this information does not cause internal protest and perceived organically. Working with the depressed person is carried out so that we can change the course of conduct on the scene only oppressed people - the main character.

If we are working with a group of ordinary members of society in order to prevent negative phenomena in society - violence, substance abuse, human trafficking, etc. - should act on the same principle: that the protagonist - a man who identified as suffering from oppression - is the one who replaces, for whom developed strategy and proposals in the forum. For the idea of Forum Theatre is based on truth, that no matter who we are and what role is in society, we can always change yourself.

Sometimes in the course of the play there is a need of introducing a new character - a girlfriend, an employee of public organizations, medical, law enforcement officers, by which we change the situation around the depressed person for the better.

The aim of the Forum Theatre for persons who can influence the situation in a society - civil servants, policemen, doctors, educators - is a general search of the most effective ways to prevent adverse events and the provision of diversified aid the oppressed. There are many options out of the difficult situation of the oppressed, and which of them will be most successful, can be determined only by uniting the efforts of specialists in different directions, because he oppressed does not speak the whole professional medical, legal, psychological information that possess specialists.

Legislative Theatre as a kind of theater of the oppressed, svyazannnogo closely with Forum Theatre, comes into force in scenarios where viewers are aware that any attempt to change the situation have no chance of a positive solution to the problem without changing the laws and actions of politicians.

In Ukraine, the legislature theater can be a tool of use of skills of lobbying interests of the oppressed members of society before the authorities.