Applied Theatre: Safe Home

An applied theatre project training young people in using theatre to raise awareness of social issues. Applied Theatre: Safe Home is a collaboratiion between Teatro della Limonaia in Florence and Trapped Radicals in Newbridge.

This is the first stage of the collaboration. Safe Home happened in Ireland, in Newbridge, betrween 14th and 21st July 2009. 10 young Italians worked for the week with 10 young Irish people to create a 45 minute performance staged in The Liffey Studio on Monday 20th July. The performance explored aspects of gender-based violence, particularly violence that impacts on young people. The performance featued movement pieces, monologues, scenes and texts devised by the performers. Many of the pieces showed aspects of psychological and emotional vioolence experienced by this age group. The show was followed by a discussion with the audience.

During the week-long process, which began at 11am daily and concluded at 8pm, participants researched information about GBV, took part in workshops given by Dr Brid Connolly (Dept of Adult and Community Education, NUI Maynooth), and explored different methods of devising physical and verbal theatre.

Facilitators included Peter Hussey (AD of Crooked House and Kildare Youth Theatre) and Serena Manelli (AD of Assoc Cul Tri-boo, Firenze).

This project is supported by a grant from The Youth in Action programme at Leargas (www.leargas.ie)

See the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/139046064808/ for pictures and further information