Our European mobility program has enabled the Com4Dev members most interested in forum theater to take part in an internship with Ury Noy Meir in November 2023. He is a specialist in the field, following in the footsteps of Augusto Boal, founder of the Theater of the Oppressed, from which Forum Theater derives.
The course took place in Monzuno near Bologna, Italy, with 9 Com4Dev members. By all accounts, in addition to a course on the social utility of theater by exploring different forms, the week was a truly immersive experience within ourselves and was intended to reconnect us with nature. For Ury, theater is approached as a tool of expression and research to move towards greater harmony and commitment to a fairer, more united world. It’s a collective effort that forges strong links between the participants, while also strongly connecting them to their environment. Through exchange and debriefing sessions, we give pride of place to each person’s unique and sensitive feelings. Once this connection has been established, it’s time to reflect collectively on the ways in which theatrical practice can open up the work carried out on the course to different audiences and in a variety of contexts, particularly off the beaten track of institutional theater. In other words, off the stage. For example, we were invited to explore and deploy our theatrical practice in a variety of contexts: in the rehearsal room, out in nature, in a nearby eco-lieu, in the public space of the city…
This was a great experience for Com4Dev, enabling us to offer new tools to the social change organizations we work with.