Polart Circle Event: Workshop conference on writing and directing – Social and political theatre – Ortzaï, Spain

Marion Pollet/ July 2, 2019/ Activities, news

The Ortzaï Theatre, based in Vitoria Gasteiz, Spain, conducted a two-day event on July 1st and 2nd, 2019 to promote the Polart Circle project.

The event brought together professional and amateur artists, members of NGOs and cultural associations as well as media (including Radio Popular and El Correo). During these two days, a staging proposal was created by the so-called “active” participants on political and social issues and then presented to the so-called “passive” participants.

Guided by an artist, the “active” participants worked each morning to “illustrate” the process of writing and staging a political/social scene work to the “passive” participants, who were mainly present in the late afternoon. The performance was followed by the explanation of different parts of the Polart Circle project and the projection and discussion of the Moocs created during the project.

Three main themes were discussed during these workshops:

– The crisis of the last decade, yet not gone and said to come back: a way to make us obedient through “shock”? (The Shock theory)
– Identity as a weapon: the Brexit challenge and the rebirth of worrying movements in Europe
– Women and equity: the increasing violence against women in society apparently far from equity and the reflection around the new feminism after the Metoo movement.

Programme

Day 1

During the first morning, the writing work on these themes was done in small groups or individually, followed by pooling to define the general structure of the performance.

In the afternoon, the way in which the writing work would be explained to the “passive” participants in order to make it clear, dynamic and open to their proposals, contributions and opinions was discussed. The latter were surprised by about a so quickly developed writing work

The Polart Circle project was presented and the first Mooc on writing was projected and discussed.

Day 2

The morning was dedicated to incorporate the new ideas brought by the “passive” participants about the text itself. The “active” participants then worked on the staging, in the “cabaret” form.

In the afternoon, a final rehearsal took place to refine the staging and then the performance was played in front of the “passive” participants.
The day ended with the discussion of the second Mooc, on the staging of political theatre.

 

Share this Post