Conference 2025 Workshops

Workshops on Friday and Saturday are 2,5 hours, on Sunday are 2 hours long, for a limited number of participants.

For workshop details (description, day, time, language, facilitators' CVs, etc) click on the title.

HOW TO RESERVE A PLACE IN WORKSHOPS 
The available places in each Workshop are limited.
Reserving a place in a WORKSHOP will take place after the general Conference Registration via a personal email.
Priority will be given based on the order of the date of Conference Registration.
After you have completed the Registration process, you will receive a personal email. This email will be sent based on the priority of your registration date and will allow you to choose the workshop you wish to attend.
Check language, date, hours, before reserving a place
Note: all workshops are offered in parallel sessions in the same time slot each day. Participants may choose one each day

 

 

 

Embodied Storytelling: Exploring Kathabhinaya for Empowering Vulnerable Social Groups

Embodied Storytelling: Exploring Kathabhinaya for Empowering Vulnerable Social Groups

Athens, 22/03/2025, conference workshop, Janardan Ghosh

Event date: 3/22/2025 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM Export event

  

Embodied Storytelling: Exploring Kathabhinaya for Empowering Vulnerable Social Groups

 

Janardan Ghosh
story performer, creative director, education officer, India

 

 

WORKSHOP

At Athens International Conference "Theatre/Drama & Inclusive Education"

21-23 of March 2025

Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr)

 

Language: English
Limited number of participants

 

Workshop Overview

This hands-on workshop introduces Kathabhinaya, a form of Indian classical narrative performance, as an educational tool for vulnerable social groups, including refugees, migrants, and marginalised communities. Participants will explore how gesture-based storytelling transcends linguistic and cultural barriers, fostering social inclusion and emotional expression. The workshop aims to provide educators and community leaders with skills in Kathabhinaya, integrating them into intercultural learning practices to address the educational needs of marginalised groups.

 

Objectives

-Introduce Kathabhinaya as a non-verbal communication tool for vulnerable social groups.

-Empower participants to use embodied storytelling to foster cultural exchange and emotional healing.

-Provide hands-on experience in Kathabhinaya techniques, focusing on gestures, facial expressions, and body movements.

-Develop a deeper understanding of how Kathabhinaya can support identity formation and social integration.

 

Target Audience: educators working with vulnerable groups, community organisers and social workers, performers interested in intercultural practices, refugees, migrants, and socially disadvantaged individuals as active participants

 

Structure

-Introduction to Kathabhinaya.

-Overview of the tradition, cultural significance, and how it can be adapted for educational purposes.

-Interactive Sessions: participants will learn basic Kathābhinaya techniques, focusing on storytelling through gestures, facial expressions, and physical movement. Sessions will include exercises that encourage participants to express their personal stories using these techniques.

-Group Creation and Performance: participants will co-create narratives based on shared experiences, emphasising intercultural dialogue and mutual learning. Performances will conclude with open discussions on cultural empathy and inclusion.

 

Theoretical Foundation: Grounded in Rasa Theory and Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, this workshop challenges traditional, hierarchical education systems by introducing performance-based, participatory methods. Through storytelling, participants will explore how emotional engagement can foster a sense of belonging and identity affirmation, creating inclusive learning environments for marginalised communities.

 

Expected Outcomes: participants will acquire practical skills in Kathabhinaya for use in educational and community contexts. Vulnerable groups will experience empowerment through embodied self-expression. The workshop will encourage a cross-cultural dialogue that promotes social cohesion and empathy among diverse groups.


Conclusion: This workshop aims to integrate Kathābhinaya within the larger educational framework of the project, offering innovative methods for fostering inclusion, cultural understanding, and emotional healing among vulnerable populations. By emphasising non-verbal storytelling, the workshop creates a platform for marginalised voices, providing an alternative educational experience that is both creative and transformative.

 

 

Dr. Janardan Ghosh is a storyteller, performer, academic, and theatre director with a Ph.D. in Performance and Spirituality from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University. His research delves into Tribal Story Performance in Santhal Parganas. He has collaborated with acclaimed directors and global institutions, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and British Film Institute. As an actor, he starred in the National Award-winning film Kalkokkho. Currently, he serves as the Education Officer at Madhusthali Vidyapeeth and Creative Director at OGLAM and OBO, teaching theatre worldwide and presenting his research at prestigious international conferences.


  

 
FRIDAY 21/3/2025, 16.30-19.00

"The Raft Game"
Georgia Antoniou, teacher at 5th High School Corfu Greece
Angeliki Kladi teacher at 5th High School Corfu Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 5405 (wheelchair accessible)

The acceptance of self through the affirmation of others
Lambros Arapakos, social worker, Greece
Giouli Douvou, theatre pedagogue, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 131 (no wheelchair accessible

"we all can…supporting diversity through enhancing the general self-confidence of adolescents in secondary education"
Aikaterini Asimidou, teacher, Music School of Piraeus, Greece
Antonios Lenakakis, Professor of Theatre Arts and Education, Department of Preschool Education Sciences, Faculty of Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Angelos Souliotis, music teacher,  Music School of Piraeus, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 5407 (wheelchair accessible)

"Biography Based Language Teaching Through Creative Drama"
Ferah Burgul-Adıgüzel Assoc. Prof. Gazi University Gazi Faculty of Education, Turkey
Language: English
Room: 132 (no wheelchair accessible)

"The theatrical educational model through the neurological approach of acting"
Annita Capousizi, Instructor of the inclusive performing arts, Artistic director of the theatre group ARTimeleia, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 5404 (wheelchair accessible)

"Oficina Manta plus democracy and modern slavery"
Hugo Miguel Coelho, ExQuorum, Portugal
Language: English
Room: 127 (no wheelchair accessible)

"I am Malala - a process drama approach to address gender-based violence in classrooms"
Adam Cziboly, associate professor Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Language: English
Room: 310 (wheelchair accessible)

“The Navel of the Earth- A workshop on inclusion” 
Maria Frangi, University of Patras Department of Theatre Studies, Greece 
Language: Greek
Room: 313 (wheelchair accessible)

"Lotus Project yoga meets poetry"
Bruno Freyssinet artistic director of Transplanisphere France
Foteini Dimitriou Yoga Family Violet Alignment school, Greece
Language: English/Greek/French
Room: 311 (wheelchair accessible)

"Who Was My Granny"
Sunčica Milosavljević, theatre director, drama pedagogue, Serbia
Nataša Milojević, drama and dance pedagogue, Serbia
Mladen Brekić, Youth Drama Club POKUS, Serbia
Sara Prodanović, Youth Drama Club POKUS, Serbia
Language: English
Room: 5204-nykton organon (wheelchair accessible)

"POWER! - Exploring and blocking racism within and around us” 
George Moschos, Director of Youth Engagement Scheme YES, CAMHI, Greece 
Olga Orfanidou, primary school teacher, Greece 
Language: Greek
Room: 410 (wheelchair accessible)

"A Thousand Languages of Dance: Dance as a Tool for Inclusion"
Maria Papadopoulou, Movement Teacher / Trainer, InDancEdu, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: Estiatorio (wheelchair accessible with some difficulty)

"Journey to the Water"
Tríona Stokes, Drama Lecturer, Maynooth University, Ireland
Language: English
Room: 312 (wheelchair accessible)

"Devised Theatre - new meanings and new narratives"
Sofia Vgenopoulou, child psychiatrist, director, theatre educator-group animator, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 409-chorodias (wheelchair accessible)

 

 

SATURDAY 22/3/2025, 09.30-12.00

"The things couldn't fit in my suitcase"
Ömer Adıgüzel, Prof. University Faculty of Educational Sciences, Turkey
Zeki Özen, Assoc. Prof.  Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences, Turkey
Language: English
Room: 131 (no wheelchair accessible)

"Uninstall the installs: deconstructing the roots of fascism"
Katerina Alexiadi,  educator, drama teacher Greece
Vasilis Klissiaris educator, drama teacher Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 5405 (wheelchair accessible)

"Theatre as an Awareness Practice: 1955 - 2024, a Bus Ride"
Maria Olga Athinaiou, Theatre Practitioner, Processworker, Greece
Language: English
Room: 5404 (wheelchair accessible)

"Oratio Mix, intercultural dialog at school"
Noémie Besace, artist, pedagogue, France
Bruno Freyssinet, artistic director Transplanisphère, France
Language: English/French
Room: 132 (wheelchair accessible)

Theatre with singing as a vehicle
Aris Biniaris, Director, actor, Greece 
Language: Greek
Room: Estiatorio (wheelchair accessible with some difficulty)

"Embodied Storytelling: Exploring Kathabhinaya for Empowering Vulnerable Social Groups"
Janardan Ghosh, story performer, creative director, education officer, India
Language: English
Room: 409-chorodias (wheelchair accessible)

"Everyday stories through trace, movement, and sound” 
An inclusive approach inspired by local pedagogy, kinesiology, and the work of Trisha Brown.
Vagelis Kolotsios, educator, Greece
Elina Vafeiadi, educator, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 127 (no wheelchair accessible)

"The prince and the prince"
George Konstantinidis, Child Psychologist, Actor, Volunteer at the Rainbow School, Greece
Elena Skarpidou, Sexual Education Trainer, Head of Education Department at the Rainbow School, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 5407 (wheelchair accessible)

"Devising as a Process of Inclusion and Developing Group Harmony" 
Sanja Krsmanović Tasić, choreographer, dance-theatre practitioner, Serbia 
Language: English
Room: 5204-nykton organon (wheelchair accessible)

"The Red Lantern Festival, or How the Emperor’s Maidservant changed his Mind and Saved the People"
John O’ Toole, Professor University of Melbourn, Australia
Language: English
Room: 410 (wheelchair accessible)

‘Truth or Lie’ - simple responses to a complex world
Lutz Pickardt, director, theatre pedagogue, BuT, Germany
Language: English
Room: 313 (wheelchair accessible)

"Elements of applied theater and technique by Ivana Chubbuk 12 Tools in drama pedagogy on examples of scenes from plays by A.P. Chekhov"
Arma Tanovic-Brankovic Professor on Academy of Performing Arts, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Language: English
Room: 311 (wheelchair accessible)

"One Well, One World: Activating Water Justice in the Global Textile Industry"
Philip Valle Lecturer - Department of Theatre and Dance, California Polytechnic State University, USA
Phyllis Wong Lecturer - Department of Theatre and Dance, California Polytechnic State University, USA
Jenna Brock Student, Research and Teaching Assistant - California Polytechnic State University, USA
Sara Sjoblom Student and Research Assistant - California Polytechnic State University USA
Language: English
Room: 312 (wheelchair accessible)

“Me, You, Together!” 
Eirini Zoi, philologist, drama teacher, Greece 
Foteini Papacharalampous, psychologist, psychotherapist, Greece 
Melina Hadjigeorgiou, drama teacher, educator, Greece 
Language: Greek
Room: 310 (wheelchair accessible)

 

SUNDAY 23/3/2025, 09.30-11.30

“Getting into improv theatre”
Frank Hohl, theatre pedagogue, Germany
Language: English
Room: 313 (wheelchair accessible)

“Where is 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 Vio, Drama Educator, Theatre director, Greece/Spain 
Language: English /Spanish/Greek
Room: 132 (no wheelchair accessible):

“Codes Under the Shadows”
Aglaia Naka, drama-pedagogue, Greece
Christos Rachiotis, actor, animator, teacher, Greece
Language: Greek
Room: 127 (wheelchair accessible)

"Play Jam"
Eleni Papaioannou, Movement Educator, Choreographer, Performer, Greece
Language: English
Room: 131 (no wheelchair accessible)

“Talking about the ideas of hate in the classroom” 
Kostis Papaioannou, director of “SIMEIO: for the Study and Confrontation of the Right-Wing Extremists”, Greece 
Aspasia Kalisora, teacher, member of “SIMEIO: for the Study and Confrontation of the Right-Wing Extremists”, Greece 
Language: Greek
Room: 5204-nykton organon (wheelchair accessible)

 

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