Intercultural Playback Theatre

Intercultural Playback Theatre is a training course for youth workers, educators, NGO representatives who work with young people who would like to increase their competences to create social change for their youth groups. The youth workers involved will specifically gain knowledge, skills and attitudes towards intercultural learning, active listening, recognition of various sides of one story, and exploration on how expressed emotions and feelings help us to create meaningful conversations around cultures and identity. Throughout the course we will explore how playback theatre can help to facilitate cross-cultural communication of youth in their organisations and communities. With these skills, the participants will be able to learn creative and participative methods to facilitate meaningful cultural exchange in their own organisations.

The project will include the following 4 phases:

1 Online preparation (August)

2 Training program (19.09 - 26.09.2021)

3 Implementation of the lessons learned (October-November): conduct at least one local activity and disseminate the lessons learnt

4 Online evaluation seminar (0.5 day in early December)

The objectives of Intercultural playback theatre are for you to:

• Understand and apply communication, expression of one’s feelings and active listening skills;
• Gain experience in non-formal education and playback theatre as an inspiration to facilitate a cross-cultural dialogue;
• Develop and implement after the training course (phase 3) an action plan: facilitate cross-cultural communication through playback theatre in your organisation’s activities;
• Virtually share and evaluate the activities organised back home (phase 4).

The course is based on non-formal education methodology and will have a form of practical exercises and simulations. The programme will be built on actual knowledge and experiences of the participants. It will also allow for strong intercultural aspects. Detailed programme will be sent in March to the selected participants. It will be adjusted to the needs and expectations of participants. 

Playback theatre is an improv based theatre format in which members of the audience tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot by a group of actors. Specific formats are used to give back the story to the teller in a respectful way. Playback theatre can be used to express one’s feelings, address social matters and to share one’s own personal situation with a bigger audience. In this TC it will be used to facilitate a cross-cultural dialogue.