Theatre Makes Politics (TMP)

Paris, 20-22/9/2022 Research Workshop 1

Theatre Makes Politics (TMP)
Cooperation project in the field of theatre, education and citizenship
Erasmus+ 2022-2025
 Partners:  Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik E.V. (BUT) Germany (Coordinator),
La Transplanisphere (LT) France, Ex-Quorum (EQ) Portugal, Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID) North Macedonia, Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr) Greece, Stadt Theatre Dortmund (STD) Germany

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Research Workshop #1
“Religious fundamentalism: Islamic fundamentalism & Christian extremism”
Paris-Montreuil, France, 20-22 Sept 2022
Location: at Musée de l’Histoire Vivante, Parc Montreau, 31 Bd Théophile Sueur, 93100 Montreuil Host: La Transplanisphère
Lead: La Transplanisphère and BUT

TMP in short: Based on theatre practices, TMP project wants to propose a creative response to address religious extremism, populism, racism and conspiracy theories in Europe. Through creative tools, TMP intends to support pedagogues and youth workers in their practices. In this sense, the project may help youngsters to find a deeper understanding of people who are “different”. TMP is about overcoming prejudices and discover the pleasure of exchanging, playing and acting for young people

The 4 Research Workshops for Theatre Makes Politics (TMP) project
1) Paris – Montreuil, 20-22 September 2022 (religious extremism)
2) Lesvos Isl Greece, 27-30 October 2022, (racism, refugees, xenophobia, nationalism)
3) Lisbon Portugal 28-30 November 2022 (Christian religious dogmatism and politics)
4) Skopje, North Macedonia (January 2023) (Conspiracy theories and fake news)

What is the TMP Paris workshop topic and content?
Paris workshop addresses more specifically religious extremism (Islamic fundamentalism and Christian extremism). How theatre practices may contribute to a better understanding of those topics and offer a creative way to dialog between youngsters?
The 3-day workshop will include:
- sharing knowledge on religion and extremism (with contributions from experts)
- sharing methods on theatre practices addressing citizenship and political topics (with contributions from the 6 partners)
- Creating through sessions based on design thinking approach to frame the future TMP methodology that will be proposed (lead by the hosting partners)

The workshop timeline is based on a method related to the project Creative Commune (also supported by Erasmus+).

Who is expected to attend the Paris workshop?
Each partner organization is invited the send 4 people to the workshop. This will create a group of 24 participants, who could be joined occasionally by experts, citizens delegates. Additionally, online contributions will allow to have special guest from Europe.
The participants are expected to have a specific interest in the topic, crossing theatre, citizenship and religion. They can be experts, artists, NGO activists. They also can be youngsters (18-30) involved in theatre and citizenship, willing to contribute to the debate and the manifesto that will close the workshop and frame the future TMP method addressing extremism through theatre practice. Gender balance and senior/youth balance is a priority.

Programme of the Paris workshop
Location: Museun of Living History of Paris - Montreuil
Tuesday 20/9/2022:  10:00-12:30 - 14:00-17:00
Introduction to TMP project / Ice breakers / Presentation of previous projects connected to TMP / Sharing knowledge session with an expert / sharing method session with BUT and Transplanisphère / Design thinking session to inspire the next days (Creative Commune method) / quizz on religions
Wednesday 21/9/2022: 10:00-12:30 - 14:00-17:00
Energizer / Sharing knowledge session with an expert / sharing method session with TMP partners ExQ, TENet-Gr, CID, KJT / Design thinking session to frame the manifesto. Evening in Paris downtown
Thursday 22/9/2022 10:00-13:00
Energizer / Final writing workshop for the manifesto / evaluation / what’s next session

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Theatre Makes Politics (TMP)  (in short) an Erasmus+ Youth Project 2022-2025
Main partners
-Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V., (BUT), Germany (Project Coordinator)
-La Transplanisphere (LT), France
-Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr), Greece
-Ex-Quorum - Associação de Divulgação de Eventos Culturais (EQ), Portugal
-Centre for Intercultural Dialogue Association, (CID), Rebublic of North Macedonia
-Stadt Theatre Dortmund (STD), Germany 

Main areas of concerns: TMP proposes to originate a creative response on anti-democratic forces in European societies.
The consortium of partners considers it is extremely important that youth workers working with young Europeans are able to use creative tools to question how populists and extremists  try to manipulate them.

The project explores how some groups create opposition up to enemyship to other groups, be they refugeexpected es, muslims, “unbelievers”, LGBTQ+ a.s.o.

The expected  results: TMP  develops creative worktools, a handbook, an a network, in order to empower youth workers to be able to shift perspectives in their concrete work, and to help young people to find a deeper understanding of people who are “different”, overcoming prejudices and discover the pleasure of exchanging, playing and acting with people they would otherwise never meet.

The project’s objectives are:
- To empower and encourage youth workers to integrate methods into their work that will help them to address antidemocratic attitudes, such as racism, nationalism, intolerance, as well as religious fundamentalism in all its forms.
- To enrich the set of methods and tools available for youth work in the above fields with techniques from the field of theatre pedagogy and other performing arts.
- To create a core of youth trainers/ workers who have skills to tackle these sensitive issues in their work, and who also can act as multipliers

The project will address the 4 following issues using theatre/drama and performing arts:

1. Far-right extremism and populism: Racism and anti-refugees' rhetoric
2. Far-right extremism and populism: Conspiracy theories and fake news
3. Religious fundamentalism: Islamic fundamentalism 
4. Religious fundamentalism: Christian religious dogmatism and politics

The steps:
a) 4 face-to-face Research Workshops (Paris – Montreuil France, September 2022: religious extremism, Lesvos Isl Greece, October 2022: racism, refugees, xenophobia, nationalism, Lisbon Portugal November 2022: Christian religious dogmatism and politicsm, Skopje, North Macedonia, January 2023: Conspiracy theories and fake news)
b) Research & Writing Groups
c) Drafting a manual
d) Presenting the manual to selected youth workers
e) Testing the methodology with Youth Groups
f) Re-writing the manual & work-tools
g) Dissemination events (local conferences)

Implementation period 1/3/2022-1/3/2025

Project ID No:  2021-2-DE04-KA220-YOU - 000049944
(Erasmus+ Cooperation partnerships in youth 2021, Round 2)

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