International Social Work (U1 to M14 International Social Work, Social Economics and Social Management) - Einzelansicht

S45201

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK – Group 5

FORUM THEATER TECHNIQUE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

SYLLABUS

Alice Salomon University – Berlin

Summer Semester 2024

Instructor Information

General Information

Description

Theatre for Social Change can be used as a teaching tool, a vehicle for self-study, a problem-solving technique for groups of any size, and for community building. As catalysts for positive human growth, we will apply the theatrical techniques of Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre (in which spectators explore their own solutions to collective problems by intervening at the crisis point of a scenario).

Students will be able to merge their understanding of scene elements with their improvisation skills in this final unit based on Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Theatre of the Oppressed is a style of theatre specifically created to highlight the injustices of power and oppression in society and to problem-solve ways to bring about change.

Expectations and Goals

• Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate the ability to work together cooperatively.
• Examine, through reading, research and discussion, the key ideas constituting the concept of Theatre for Social Change
• Identify and appreciate specific ways in which drama and theatre can be used as effective tools for issue exploration and consider ethical issues that might arise in this type of work;
• In a studio setting, apply the techniques associated with theatre for social change.
• Acquire the skills and strategies necessary to create an applied theatre project that deals with a specific social issue of the student’s interest.
• Facilitate theatre for social change lessons/workshops.
• Have an increased interest in the use of drama and theatre to address social issues;

Required Materials

• Babbage, F. (2004). Augusto Boal. Routledge.
• Boal, A. (2008). Theatre of the Oppressed. Pluto Press.
• Cohen-Cruz, J., & Schutzman, M. (Eds.). (1993). Playing Boal. Routledge.
• Boal, A. (2021). Games for actors and non-actors (A. Jackson, Trans.; 3rd ed.). Routledge.
• Fritz, B. (2015). InExActArt - the autopoietic theatre of Augusto Boal: A handbook of theatre of the oppressed practice (R. Yarrow & L. Sendzimir, Trans.). ibidem.
• Midha, G. (2010). Theatre of the Oppressed (A Manual for Educators) https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cie_capstones/11

Course Schedule

Course Requirements

Students are required to attend classes with the readings completed and prepared to contribute to the class work by entering class discussions and participating in activities.

Students prepare Forum Theatre performances in groups during the class and will perform them in the last two sessions. Both the actors and spectactors will be evaluated during these two sessions.

Grading