Empowering Youth: Theatre of the Oppressed in Costa Rica
The project “Capacitación Teatral en Comunidades Nacionales y Aledañas a las Sedes y Subsedes de la Universidad Nacional” is a theatre for social change project run by the Theatre School of the Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica. This project uses Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to work with rural communities in order to empower them as active, responsible members of their communities and of their lives. Theatre of the Oppressed is, in its creator’s words (Augusto Boal): A rehearsal for revolution, a rehearsal for real live.
Projects Objectives:
- To congregate children and young adults in rural communities with theatre workshops and social activities where they can reflect about their realities and construct their present
- To produce theatre plays with collective creation methodologies: plays written, acted and produced by the participants.
- To produce cultural activities for the community: “Cultural Shares” are small cultural festivals, where both the community and the University share their cultural and artistic productions.
- To involve students and professors from the university in the activities produced by the rural communities.
Stages of the process:
- Community Diagnosis.
- Contact with organized groups and leaders of the community.
- Promotion and divulgation strategies.
- Theatre Workshops (Social Change techniques).
- Collection of materials for play production.
- Play Production (Collective Creation process).
- Presentation of artistic product.
Areas of intervention:
- Guanacaste (2008): Communities of Liberia, Nicoya and Playas del Coco, all very touristy and culturally globalized.
- Heredia (2009): Communities of Vara Blanca and San Rafael de Vara Blanca, both severely affected by the January 8th earthquake of Cinchona
Achievements of the project:
- 2008: Theatre of the Oppressed helped us reflect about identity, folklore and the pros and cons of foreign invasion. We produced four plays and four “Convivios Teatrales”.
- 2009: Theatre of the Oppressed was used as a tool to reflect upon the earthquake and its consequences. The project worked hand in hand with other departments of the University to reconstruct these communities physically and emotionally. We had four “Convivios Teatrales” and produced four plays with the children of the community.
