Some Genres of Applied Drama & Theatre Jouni Piekkari, Finland

Jungle of concepts ! different people different intentions

What is drama? Drama is collective activity, where people create and share meanings by imitating stylistically or realistically the phenomena of the real or supranormal life Drama does not need special space, costume or separate audience HOMO LUDENS - serious playfullness of drama

Drama is collective activity, where people create and share meanings

by imitating stylistically or realistically the phenomena of the real or supranormal life

Drama does not need special space, costume or separate audience

HOMO LUDENS - serious playfullness of drama

What is Theatre? Theatre is a composition of dramatic elements or episodes, meant to be performed for a specific audience in a specific space carrying dramatic meanings through visual elements

Theatre is a composition of dramatic elements or episodes,

meant to be performed

for a specific audience

in a specific space carrying dramatic meanings through visual elements

What is applied drama & theatre? in the western world theatre is often seen as a value in itself: it is an entertaining and aesthetic art form In the West theatre does not need to have any other purposes in the rest of the world theatre has usually served other functions: religious, ritual, political, pedagogical, healing, recording history… lately, in the West, too theatre and drama have been more widely applied for other purposes: as a tool for healing , politics , learning , creating communities...

in the western world theatre is often seen as a value in itself: it is an entertaining and aesthetic art form

In the West theatre does not need to have any other purposes

in the rest of the world theatre has usually served other functions: religious, ritual, political, pedagogical, healing, recording history…

lately, in the West, too theatre and drama have been more widely applied for other purposes:

Learning

Drama in Education (DIE) drama as education about theatre art drama as a tool for learning other subjects drama for integration of subjects : holistic & constructivist approach drama for human growth

drama as education about theatre art

drama as a tool for learning other subjects

drama for integration of subjects : holistic & constructivist approach

drama for human growth

Contemporary paradigma? ” Drama education for me is more a ”space” for creating culture than a ”space” for educating or teaching for something that according to the current norms and general thinking in the society is considered as right and important -- [Drama education] is not teaching in a traditional sense, rather it is creating different viewpoints and alternative possibilities - re-defining the future” Dr. Hannu Heikkinen, University of Jyväskylä

Learning classical play texts and theatre styles with a theatre group Photos: Titi Lillqvist

Theatre in Education (TIE) research scripted plays clearly focused themes on any school subject (art history, physics…) integrated into the official curriculum professional, travelling theatre groups sometimes interactive parts workshops after and/or before the performance study materials

research

scripted plays

clearly focused themes

on any school subject (art history, physics…)

integrated into the official curriculum

professional, travelling theatre groups

sometimes interactive parts

workshops after and/or before the performance

study materials

Exploring

Devised Theatre theatre without a play script collaborative process (creación colectiva) scripting in a group ” scripting on the feet” - improvisation, movement, interviews, installation, photo… non-linear and non-narrative dramaturgies themes

theatre without a play script

collaborative process (creación colectiva)

scripting in a group

” scripting on the feet” - improvisation, movement, interviews, installation, photo…

non-linear and non-narrative dramaturgies

themes

Polytechnic of Seinäjoki students constructing their understanding on technology: fight between the sexes Photo: Jussi Kareinen

Sociodrama explores social phenomena for understanding: social problems and interactions, news, political events, trends... distancing from the experiences of individuals (vs. psychodrama) completely improvised created by Jacob L. Moreno

explores social phenomena for understanding:

social problems and interactions, news, political events, trends...

distancing from the experiences of individuals (vs. psychodrama)

completely improvised

created by Jacob L. Moreno

Healing

Psychodrama created by Jacob L. Moreno in the 20´s drama for therapy concentrates on the problems or traumatic experiences of an individual completely improvised - ”here and now” training in therapy work necessary long training

created by Jacob L. Moreno in the 20´s

drama for therapy

concentrates on the problems or traumatic experiences of an individual

completely improvised - ”here and now”

training in therapy work necessary

long training

” Sharing of everyday life experiences is healthy and healing” improvised theatre: a group acts elements of the stories of the audience can be done also as a workshop without an audience - ”easy-for-everyone” techniques inspiration from socio- and psychodrama Jonathan Fox, USA Play-back Theatre

” Sharing of everyday life experiences is healthy and healing”

improvised theatre: a group acts elements of the stories of the audience

can be done also as a workshop without an audience - ”easy-for-everyone” techniques

inspiration from socio- and psychodrama

Jonathan Fox, USA

Drama therapy emphasis on ”now” and the ”future” instead of childhood traumas individual focus: emotional empowerment distancing: use of myths, stories, etc. allegories to the own life experiences of the patients usually workshop, sometimes rehearsed performances more theatricality

emphasis on ”now” and the ”future” instead of childhood traumas

individual focus: emotional empowerment

distancing: use of myths, stories, etc.

allegories to the own life experiences of the patients

usually workshop, sometimes rehearsed performances

more theatricality

Hospital Clownery ” laughing is essential for the well-being of a human being” Laughter is proved to have positive physical and mental health effects paradoxically: hospitals are often sad and lonely places for children Patch Adams is the founder for hospital clownery and Gesundheit Institute of alternative health in USA Marco Ferreira (Portugal) as a clown in Drama Way workshop in Tallin, Estonia

” laughing is essential for the well-being of a human being”

Laughter is proved to have positive physical and

mental health effects

paradoxically: hospitals are often

sad and lonely places for children

Patch Adams is the founder

for hospital clownery and

Gesundheit Institute

of alternative health in USA

Participating and empowering

Theatre for Development Photo: Idalotta Backman

theatre as a tool for participatory development method of research dialogue forum for solving conflicts and problems finding concrete solutions field research folk media - local forms of expression tool for illiterate people to express and discuss

theatre as a tool for participatory development

method of research

dialogue

forum for solving conflicts and problems

finding concrete solutions

field research

folk media - local forms of expression

tool for illiterate people to express and discuss

MASUZYO/ AFRICAN DIRECTIONS Lusaka, Zambia Photo: Idalotta Backman

Theatre for Awareness Natya Chetana, Orissa, India Photo: Tarja Ervasti

travelling theatre by bicycle from village to village provoking discussion and awareness co-operation with other NGO`s in link with other campaigns for justice talking to politicians Cuttack PURI Konark

travelling theatre

by bicycle from village to village

provoking discussion and awareness

co-operation with other NGO`s

in link with other campaigns for justice

talking to politicians

Theatre of the Oppressed

Pamodzi Zambian-Finnish experiments of Theatre-for-Development in Finland, 1994 photos: Mikael Rönkkö

Other forms of Theatre of the Oppressed... invisible theatre image theatre Rainbow of Desire - drama for therapy legislative theatre - drama for making new laws & descisions

invisible theatre

image theatre

Rainbow of Desire - drama for therapy

legislative theatre - drama for making new laws & descisions

Building communities

Drama & ritual Photo: Leena Jokinen

” New kind of communities need new kind of rituals: … for healing... ...marking cycles of life... ...for integration... ...for celebration… ...for purification… ...for empowerment… ...for creating harmony… ...for making visible… ...for understanding ...what is important to us.” Why rituals?

Celebratory drama

building local identity empowerment through the strengths: creating with hands, bodies & hearts use of carnevalistic elements: masks, processions, imaginary spaces, music local traditions less ”intellectual” - more intuitive What can we be proud of? Photo: Jussi Kareinen

building local identity

empowerment through the strengths:

creating with hands, bodies & hearts

use of carnevalistic elements: masks, processions, imaginary spaces, music

local traditions

less ”intellectual” - more intuitive

Sampocak – Finnish myths and Balinese body rhythm workshop in Keuruu, Finland

S.Cucufate´96 project in Alentejo, Portugal Directed by Luis Cruz Photo: Paulo Chaves

Live Action Role Play (LARP) genuine young people´s movement in the 90´s positive escapism from the reality to the imaginary worlds: future, past, mythology… A frame story created by the game leader(s) each participant assumes a role and acts it throughout an improvised role play Sometimes can take several days often in the nature, castles, other interesting spaces virtual sharing

genuine young people´s movement in the 90´s

positive escapism from the reality to the imaginary worlds: future, past, mythology…

A frame story created by the game leader(s)

each participant assumes a role and acts it throughout an improvised role play

Sometimes can take several days

often in the nature, castles, other interesting spaces

virtual sharing

More info & links: www.tkk.utu.fi/dramaway