Theatre/Drama in Education and its contribution to the awareness of refugee and immigrant issues

ATHENS CONFERENCE 2018
WORKING GROUP: Theatre/Drama in Education and its contribution to the awareness of refugee and immigrant issues

Athens, 25/11/2018, 13:00-14:30

The Working Group " Theatre/Drama in Education and its contribution to the awareness of refugee and immigrant issues" is organized as part of the
“it could be me – it could be you - an awareness raising project on refugees and human rights"
using experiential learning, theatre and educational drama techniques
implemented by the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network in collaboration with the UNHCR 

Language: english, greek 

Coordinator: Nikos Govas, theatre/drama pedagogue, Greece
 

In conversation:
Nikos Govas “It could be me – It could be you” project coordinator, Greece
Joachim Reiss, Executive Committee of IDEA (International Drama/Theatre and Education Association), Board member of BVTS Germany
Alexandra Androusou Associate Professor of the University of Athens, vice chairman of the Scientific Committee for the Support of the Education of Refugee Children of the Ministry of Education, Greece
Adıgüzel Ömer, professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, Ankara University, Turkey
Jozifek Zsófia, drama teacher, intercultural expert, Nyitott Kör Egyesület (Open Circle), Hungary

Commentators
Eva Savvopoulou, Senior Communications/Public Information Associate, UNHCR Representation in Greece
Giorgos Moschos  former Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, Greece

Teachers, drama pedagogues, refugees

Reporter
Christina Zoniou, Department of Theatre Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Peloponnese 
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Context
"Forced displacement above 68 million in 2017, new global deal on refugees critical" UNHCR, Global Trends Report, June 2018, See more.

The increased hostile and xenophobic discourse and hate speech which has emerged since 2010 in Greece but also Europe-wide, as well as the challenges resulting from the increased refugee flows to the country, which peaked in 2015 and 2016, led to the need to create an offset; the need to set-up organized efforts with regular-basis activities that could create opportunities for continuous information, promotion of empathy and respect for human rights and democratic values among children and the youth.

The school environment could serve as the best field for the creation and the adoption of an inclusive approach in the school classroom. To this end, Theatre/Drama in Education could be a valuable tool in the fields of experiential learning, development of empathy, the creation of a safe environment for a substantial intercultural exchange and communication.

The working group will explore good practises examples, where Drama and Performing Arts take a centre stage.

Key words: diversity, acceptance, combating xenophobia, awareness raising on refugee issues and human rights, intercultural education, inclusion, Educational Drama/Theatre, training, experiential learning

Working Group’s Queries:

- Which is the current situation of refugee education in Europe?

- How have the educational systems in Europe responded to the challenge of the recent refugee and migrant flows?

- Which are the good practices based on or through the Performing Arts of the international educational community?

-Which are the main challenges for the educational community? Which steps could be taken at local or international level through the Performing Arts?
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Nikos Govas (Athens, Greece) is an experienced theatre/drama pedagogue. He founded and chaired the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network TENet-Gr (1998-2008). He is editor of the “Education & Theatre” Journal (Athens, Greece) and member of the Editorial Board of the Research in Drama Education (2012-2017). He was awarded the “Hellenic Foundation Award London 1997” and the “Grozdanin Kikot 2002” award for his contribution to development of drama in education. He has worked in secondary education schools since 1982 and has served as “Cultural Programs Coordinator” for Local Secondary Education Authority Eastern Attica Greece (1998-2014) developing teachers’ networks, training courses and several art projects. He has written and edited several books and articles on theatre/drama and education in Greece. He works as drama/theatre tutor in teachers’ in-service training courses, in Universities, Municipal Theatres, Associations etc. Currently he coordinates the “it could be me-it could be you” project implemented by TENe-Gr in collaboration with UNHCR Greece

Joachim Reiss, is IDEA treasurer and representative of BVTS / Germany. Theatre/drama-teacher in secondary and upper secondary schools in Frankfurt/Main. Film- and theatre projects in schools since 35 years. Founded Frankfurts annual school theatre festival (1984) and the institution “Schultheater-Studio” (1991), Frankfurt’s dramapaedagogical Centre. Chaired all Hessen State official in-service-teacher-training and official curricula-commissions. Responsible for official drama last examination (Abitur) standards, legal for all german states (KMK, 2006). Published TIE-handbook (1994) and the books “Theater in der Schule” (2000) and “Zukunft Schultheater” (2008) and many articles in different journals. President of National Association for Theatre in Education BVDS 1995 to 2008, IDEA-Europe coordinator since 2006. Board member of National council of arts (Deutscher Kulturrat) and active in our National Association for Cultural Education BKJ. Joined german delegation in UNESCO World Congresses for Arts Education 2006 in Lisbon and 2010 in Seoul. Member of the german-austrian-switzerland Road-Map-task-force by german UNESCO commission. One of the coordinators of the international Project “Applied Theatre and intercultural work/learning” under the umbrella of IDEA together with ANRAT, TENet, AGITA, BVTS, ND and BDD 2007 – 2010. Joined WAAE from the first international summit 2007 Hong kong until the Hanghzou-summit, China 2016. EC-member in IDEA since 2017 (treasurer).

Alexandra Androusou, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Teaching Methodology in the Early Childhood Education Department of the University of Athens, Greece. She studied in Athens and Paris (Phd in Educational Sciences - direction Psychology (Sorbonne- Paris V)). Since 1997 she is member of the five member scientific committee in charge of the program "Education of children of the Muslim minority in Thrace." www.museduc.gr. From March 2016 until today she is vice chairman of the Scientific Committee for the Support of the Education of Refugee Children of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs in Greece. Also from October 2015 to the present day with a group of the Early Childhood Education Department students, she is in head of and educational intervention at the Refugees Camp  of Eleonas, in Athens,  for the children of the refugees. Her research and writing interests focus on minorities and education, teacher education and teaching practices. She also deals with the production of educational material in electronic and conventional form for children and for teachers (www.kleidiakaiantikleidia.net).

Dr. Ömer Adıgüzel works on fields such as creative drama, museum education, drama at museums, children's museums, cultural pedagogy, folk dances, etc. He conducts workshops in different areas of creative drama in Turkey and abroad.Since 2003, he has been the Chairman of the Contemporary Drama Association (ÇDD). He is a member of International Association of Children and Youth Theaters (ASSITE), Association of Children and Youth Museums, Association of Art Educators (SEDER). He is the representative of the European Drama Association (EDERED), the International Drama/Theatre & Education Association (IDEA) and the German Association of Game and Theater (BAG Spiel und Theater). He is a national referee of Turkish Folk Dance Federation. He served as a member of the Central Referee, Education and Science Boards between 2016 and 2018. He was the Coordinator of Culture and Art of Ankara University and the Deputy Coordinator of Health, Culture and Sports Department between the years of 2012 and 2017. He was awarded the 2014 TÜBA Textbooks Incentive Award and 2014 NafiAtuf Kansu Educational Encouragement Award with the Creative Drama in Education book. Since 2017, he has been the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Ankara University.

Zsófia Jozifek works at Nyitott Kör (Open Circle) Theatre in Education (TiE) company in Hungary. She has experience on Drama and Theatre in Education from various viewpoints: she met the methodology as a participant in her childhood, and while growing up, it played an important role in her life; as well as the academic approach toward the method. She completed a drama pedagogy course in 2016. She graduated as an MA of Intercultural Psychology and Education in Eötvös Loránd University in 2015. She has a BA of Liberal Arts of the same university. She lived and worked in Spain between 2013 and 2015, organizing and facilitating street theatre and educational theatre activities for young people with fewer opportunities. She is a volunteer of HUDEA, reporting on international projects. She is a practicing actor-teacher in TiE programs and has been collaborating with Zoltán in the delivery of trainings about TiE.

Christina Zoniou teaches Acting and Social Theatre at graduate and postgraduate level as a Tenured Member of the Specialised Teaching Staff of the Department of Theatre Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Peloponnese Greece, since 2005. Her research interest include contemporary approaches in directing, acting and dramaturgy, actors’ training, performing arts in education, applied / social theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed. Since 1999 she has combined her research and theatre practice in both professional and applied theatre fields. She has worked as assistant director, director, acting teacher and dramaturg by theatre institutions in Italy (among others Laboratorio Nove, Intercity Festival, Τeatro della Limonaia, Teatro Verdi di Pisa, Prima Del Teatro – European School for the Art of the Actor, Blanka Teatro) and Greece (Nea Skini). She has curated many students’ performances and facilitated theatre workshops in university institutions, theatres, schools, NGOs, citizens’ and activist groups in various countries. She is an active member of the Theatre of the Oppressed movement.  Since 2014 is member of the Board of Directors of TENet-Gr (Hellenic Thetare/Drama & Education Network). Since 2016 she is member of the Studies’ Commitee of the Epidaurus Lyceum- Summer School of Ancient Drama. Christina Zoniou has followed graduate and postgraduate studies in theatre studies, specializing in contemporary theatre practice (directing, acting, dramaturgy and theatre pedagogy), at the University of Athens (1997), the University of Glasgow (1998) and the Laboratorio Nove Acting School, Florence (2002) and attended numerous international training seminars. She holds a PhD from the University of Thessaly (2016) on developing intercultural competence through the Theatre of the Oppressed.

George Moschos, children's rights expert. Born in Athens (1957), he has studied Law in Athens and Criminology (M.Phil) in London. He was trained in the fields of adult education, youth work, self-awareness and drama for children. Since 1984 he has been working in Greece for the defence of children’s rights, prevention of young persons’ social exclusion, youth empowerment and re-integration and children’s expression through drama. He has a long experience of participation in European programmes and networks. In 2003 he was appointed as the first Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights at the Independent Authority “The Greek Ombudsman” and was re-appointed three times in this position and served until January 2018 when he resigned. In 2006 he was elected as Chairman of the European Network of Ombdusmen for Children. He is co-author of books and articles on children’s and youth rights. Since 1984 he has been co-ordinating and animating many drama workshops for children of all ages and has used theatrical tools in various meetings with youth. 

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