Partner – Artscape
Duration – 2018–2020
Regions – Klaipėda, Radviliškis and Šalčininkai; Vilnius city and district
Home was an applied theatre project that engaged three layers of the community: professional artists, school children and the wider community as spectators. Through applied theatre techniques, the project created a safe space for young people to express their opinions and share their perceived significance of the concept of ‘home’. Each school group was facilitated by an artist originally from that particular area, providing the young participants with a relatable, trustworthy and credible role model.
In each participating town, students from two different schools collaborated in theatre workshops and research. Groups were formed to discover more about their home towns, which necessitated visits to the local community and libraries, searching archives and conducting interviews with community leaders. Finally, the students breathed life into their learnings through various performances carried out in their communities.
The participants highlighted that during the project, they became more confident in expressing their opinions in public. Furthermore, they became more receptive and understanding of the importance of building and maintaining relationships with every member of their community. Through the applied theatre techniques, the students were empowered to harness the medium of drama and body language to communicate, resulting in enhanced self-confidence.
In total, the project trained eight artists who engaged with 13 schools and 168 students. Each school created eight theatre performances, which were attended by both the school members and the wider community.