Everyone has a role to play!

The Teacher Foundation, Hyderabad Centre organized "Breaking Patterns, Creating Change" a two-day training on “Theatre of the Oppressed” on 29 Jan and 30 Jan 2011 at Kennedy High The Global School, Hyderabad facilitated by Marc Weinblatt, an internationally renowned theatre artist. He began with an informal introduction of the theme and expressed that he believed in experiential learning and therefore avoided to preach theories and instead involved the participants in multifarious image-makings in different forms and postures of themselves,each one of which was based on a particular theme that apparently made the participants to think what they are, how they are and in its corresponding image made them to think on what they like and what they want to be. Image Theatre was a wonderful technique in which a series of physical exercises and games were experienced by the participants to uncover essential truths about self. Using their own and others' bodies as "clay", participants "sculpted" statues -- still images representing their experiences, feelings, ideas, oppressions, and/or dreams.

Every theme had a message that was technically intertwined with the activity and those were revealed through short discussions. One of the prime aims that came to be realized by the participants was that everyone of us in a some or other way have a role to play in which they are the oppressed and so can be the case of  students we deal with.

At the end there were discussions relating to each of the activity as to identify some of the major concerns teachers have in their professional lives and as to what can be done to make our professions more lively and contributing.

The participating teachers found immmense value in the workshop. One of the teachers, Swathi expressed “the workshop gave an opportunity to explore ways to analyse self and relate ourselves to others in a more effective manner”

Posted by Rama Mavuri, Centre Coordinator, TTF Hyderabad

---

More photographs of the event here!