PROcess THEatre YOUth WORK

The course will offer participants tools to work with violence and conflict in groups of young people through elements of group facilitation and processwork combined with theatre and clowning exercises. By working on our cultural identities and European heritage as a history of exchange but also of conflict, participants will learn to recognise the invisible elements that hinder intercultural communication and improve their understanding of themselves and of the groups they belong to.

METHODS

· Processwork is an interdisciplinary methodology that offers tools and attitudes to facilitate any kind of human experience, both personal and collective. It focuses on the process of relating - with oneself, with others, with the world - by approaching the dynamics of conflict and power through the valorisation of all points of view and levels of experience present in them, facilitating their interaction and thus transforming conflict into a space of encounter and dialogue based on the integration of diversity.

· Systemic Theatre is a methodology developed by Tr3s Social based on its long experience in the field of social and community theatre. Its roots can be found in the Pedagogy and in the Theatre of the Oppressed, in the Systemic and Complexity Paradigm and in Processwork itself.  Systemic Theatre is a tool at the service of mediation and facilitation processes, where groups are protagonists in the creative process of researching and transforming conflicts.

· Social Clowning is a methodology that combines circus arts, clown therapy (Patch Adams) and gelotology (science of laughing), using play and comedy to dissolve mental and emotional closures, in favour of the spread of justice and social dialogue. In our project in particular, we will explore the potential of clowning techniques to work on complex issues such as power, rank and privilege in groups using an inclusive approach (paraverbal and non-verbal emotional communication).

These three methods are useful and innovative tools to work with conflict management and transformation in contexts of discrimination and marginalisation among young people related to factors such as origin, gender and sexual orientation, disability and religion. The combination of these tools can foster the creation of feedback loops that integrate and enhance diversity and stimulate a sense of belonging.

RESULTS

Participants will learn tools usaful to intervene in situations where discrimination and marginalisation are present in groups of young people such as school workshops, neighbourhood centres, street education, etc. They will acquire useful tools and attitudes to respond adequately to the emergence of a conflict in the groups of young people they work with, supporting all parties involved and fostering mutual understanding and the development of a more compassionate attitude while promoting the overcoming of inequalities and discrimination.

Participants will improve their ability to create safe spaces of inclusive listening where diversity, minority voices or those who feel most vulnerable can find the strength to express themselves, overcoming discrimination and marginalisation. They will acquire the ability to recognise the privileges that each individual has, and deepen their reflection on how each of us can use them at the service of others and the group, increasing cohesion and mutual understanding among young people and stimulating inclusion and equality.

Participants will improve their ability to create inclusive spaces to encourage young people to bring out their talents, expectations, needs and to overcome emotional and communication blocks. Participants will also learn to recognise when a relationship or group is entering a pattern of violence, and will acquire tools to transform these repetitive behavioural patterns into patterns that embrace compassion, solidarity, understanding and integration with respect for all parties, thus learning to manage conflicts and turn them into sources of learning. They will learn to recognise their own personal power and reflect upon what may still be challenging aspects, existing belief systems, points of possible personal evolution, and learn techniques to transform this personal awareness into constructive energy for action through an effective communication style.

VENUE

The medieval village of Torri Superiore is a small jewel of popular architecture located at the foothill of the Ligurian Alps, a few kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea and the French border, close to the coastal town of Ventimiglia. Originating in the thirteen century, the village is structured in three main bodies with more than 160 rooms, all connected by an intricate fabric of stairways.

Its complex structure has often been compared to a fortress or a labyrinth, perched on the mountainside. The village has been entirely restored and is now open for ecotourism, courses, meetings and programs of environmental education. The participants will stay in shared rooms within the ecovillage.