So, is Leith ready for the Big Society? Even as we speak, the very active Leith community theatre group, ACTive Inquiry, is working with local people to explore how communities can improve life in their neighbourhood. Then they aim to turn drama into real life.
“We believe in peace, not in passivity” Augusto Boal, creator of Theatre of the Oppressed
During a Day of Dialogue on 11th May, dramatic scenarios will kickstart a conversation with Leith residents, visitors and elected representatives. In Forum Theatre no-one is a passive spectator. By the end of the day Active Inquiry artistic director Gavin Crichton hopes everyone in the hall will have helped to develop an Action Plan with practical solutions to real life issues in Leith.
This is the ambitious conclusion of a Forum Theatre project which began last year with workshops exploring that often elusive idea of empowerment (What is it? How can communities achieve it?). Power to the People evolved into the story of Alice and her struggle to gain support from neighbours to improve life in the community.
Performances of the play drew enthusiastic response from members of audience. Now it is their turn to take to the stage, working with actors to produce their own pieces of Forum Theatre which will be performed at the Day of Dialogue. Don’t miss the chance to discover – and influence – what happens next. (Time and place will be announced soon, check Active Inquiry website )
IT’S NOT ALL IN THE MIND…BUT A LOT OF IT IS
Meanwhile Gavin is working on another exciting project which takes empowerment a step further. On 14 and 15 May ACTive Inquiry is offering training workshops open to teachers, therapists, youth workers, social workers, actors and activists.
The workshops will be led by Barbara Santos, who was General Coordinator of the Centre for the Theatre of the Oppressed in Rio, Brazil between 1994-2008 – working alongside Augusto Boal
Barbara will draw on her latest work exploring how oppressions become part of everyday life – and how we can expose and resist them.
Workshops cost £150 for two days – from 10 am to 5pm on 14th and 15th May at Pilmeny Youth Centre. For more information contact Gavin at gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk phone 0771 4321 629 or check out www.activeinquiry.co.uk