‘Where’s mum?’ Applying Drama for Gender Equality Education
Martha Katsaridou
Assistant Professor of Drama/Theatre Education at the Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Thessaly, Greece
Koldo Vío, Drama Educator, Theatre Director, Greece/Spain
WORKSHOP
At Athens International Conference "Theatre/Drama & Inclusive Education"
21-23 of March 2025
Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr)
Language: English
For a limited number of participants
Concept theme
Gender equality education is central to the Global Education 2030 Agenda established by UNESCO for Sustainable Development. This Agenda emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that girls and boys, women and men, have equal rights and opportunities for empowerment enabling them to shape their lives and futures, not only because education and gender equality are human rights but also because they have the transformative power to build a world that is just, prosperous, inclusive and safe for us all (Unesco, 2021).
Despite the progress in gender equality, stereotypes persist globally affecting people’s’ perceptions of gender roles. For instance, disparities in treatment between girls and boys, men and woman can manifest in various areas, including activities, interests, skills, occupations, verbal interactions, acceptable behaviors, academic expectations (Saramourtsi et al., 2020; Magos, 2022). Moreover, factors such as family structure, ethno-cultural background, social class and religion significantly influence gender identity formation (Magos, 2022).
In educational settings, teachers often treat students differently based on gender, whether consciously or unconsciously. Their beliefs and pedagogical philosophies are closely tied to the prevalence of gender stereotypes in the classroom (Saramourtsi et al., 2020). Moreover, teachers do not usually recognize the significance of addressing gender stereotypes and inequalities (Frosi & Deligianni-Kuimtzi, 2008).
The workshop
The workshop aims to explore the role of drama in promoting gender equality education. Through an improvised, participatory process focused on personal experience rather than mere performance (Neelands, 1984), participants will create and interpret meanings through imagined actions and language that reflect real-life situations and language, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their surroundings (Bowell & Heap, 2001)
Participants will engage with a children’s literature book as a stimulus, on gender discrimination and stereotypes. Using selected drama conventions (Neelands & Goode, 2000; Boal 2000), participants will act as “co-investigators” in a gender transformative approach. More specifically, they will delve into the underlying causes of gender inequalities challenging power relations, social norms, and discriminatory beliefs that perpetuate inequalities aiming at promoting transformational thinking, action and social change. This aligns with Freire’s problem-posing education and Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Freire, 2005) as well as Critical Pedagogy (Giroux, 2011) and Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 2009).
The workshop is designed within the framework of the Erasmus+ project titled "Equality Street", which has been successfully implemented in a primary school class and will be repeated in other classes in the current school year.
Participants
The workshop will be conducted in English -assistance in Greek will be provided- and is open to anyone interested in the theme as well as using drama as a tool for social intervention.
Participants are advised to wear comfortable clothing. Workshop includes exercises that may involve physical contact.
Martha Katsaridou is an Assistant Professor of Drama/Theatre Education at the University of Thessaly, Department of Early Childhood Education, Greece. She has studied Pedagogy, Acting and Theatre Education in Thessaloniki and London. She has designed drama workshops, taught in seminars and has worked as a director and assistant director in performances with children and teenagers. She has published a book and articles on Applied Drama in international journals, with research interests in Applied Drama/Theatre as a medium for learning and a tool of social research and intervention.
Koldo Vío has worked on Applied Theatre projects worldwide, conducting workshops and educational interventions with projects at various international institutions, including Ramon Llull University (Spain), Porto University (Portugal), Academy of Music and Theatre/Klaipeda University (Lithuania), Aegean University (Greece) and University of the Basque Country (Spain). He is also a theatre director for children and adolescents and has worked with community and professional groups. He has also worked at the National Theatre of Northern Greece as a director and as a teacher at the Drama School.
| Action Category | - Seminars - Workshops
- Conferences
|
| Year | |
| Cities | |
| Facilitators | - Vio Koldo
- Katsaridou Martha
|