Theater Labyrinth
Start date: Jul 1, 2014,
End date: Dec 31, 2014
PROJECT
FINISHED
Activities in this project consist of a training for intstructors (group leaders, workshop leaders) in the field of arts' and theatre therapy for young people with disabilities and a multi-national youth exchange with this target group (predominantly young people with mental disabilities, some with additional physical disabilities and speech impediment). Art and theatre will be used as project work within this youth exchange, leading to a public presentation at the end of it, while giving priority to the process over the product in order to concentrate on the development of the abilities and the personalities of the participants.
These activities have been developed - along with others that are foreseen within the next 2 or 3 years - in the framework of an international network, consisting at present time of partners in 9 different countries (EU and EECA). The training will have 20 participants, the youth exchange 30 disabled young people plus group leaders, personal assistants, trainers and interpreters. The training will take place in Ukraine, the youth exchange in Germany.
Altogether we are learning what is theater, what it means to be an actor. With the help of different games and methods we are analysing different stories, trying to create our own stories and then to act. We are analysing different characters and how them to express. We are also working with different emotions and their expressions. We are working with the body and movement to help disabled people to feel or sometimes to discover their own body. Through discussion we are increasing disabled people's creativity. Through theater activities we are trying to help our disabled people to accept their borders, but also to push them further, to discover and experience new things.
We will pursue a holistic approach, using different models and methods of art therapy . By creating a common spectacle will establish the common roots of our European culture in Greek mythology. During the planning and execution of the show we look to the strengths of each participant. In mixed multinational groups will work on the music and sound, voice , articulation , issuance, rhythm and tempo , work with the body, mime gestures . By stepping into different roles they will work understanding and expressing their own emotions and reading the emotions of others .
In the long run our aim is that young people with disabilities have the same opportunities to make international and intercultural experiences, to meet personally with people from different countries and to travel abroad, as these opportunities are given to young people without disabilities at present. Therefore we will train those who are working with them, by good examples of work inspire and encourage special schools and institutions that host disabled young people to look for opportunities of international cooperation in favour of their youth.