You Are The Engine of Change
- Nov 6, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Start date 01-12-2017–End date 01-11-2019
EU Grant–145.872,00 €
Programme–Erasmus+
Key Action:
Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type:
Capacity Building for youth in ACP countries, Latin America and Asia
Countries covered–8
Coordinator
ASOCIATIA A.R.T. FUSION
🇷🇴 Romania
Summary
We developed this project to answer to different needs detected in partner organisations’ countries and regions. In youth work field there is a lack of advanced competencies in practical methods aiming to improve the situation of their direct target groups. Partners involved in this project and which made it true are coming from Burundi, Bulgaria, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Portugal, Romania and Tanzania.The main goal of the project was to raise the capacity of youth work sector to increase the participation and involvement of young people by enabling them to use theatre of the oppressed methods.The project achieved the following objectives:-To introduce innovative methodologies in youth work field on 2 continents; -To raise the capacity of partner organisations to operate at European level and in intercontinental mobility projects;-To stimulate the exchange of best practices in youth work field across continents;-To increase quality of youth organisation projects in the 2 continents;-To develop and improve competencies in Theatre of the Oppressed methods for youth workers from Europe and Africa;-To stimulate the development of a network of Theatre of the Oppressed multipliers in various regions of Europe and Africa; -To develop proactive attitudes and the sense of initiative among the NGO partners’ members and, also, among the beneficiaries of the partners (young people). -To increase the level of active participation among the direct and indirect beneficiaries The project’s main beneficiaries (32 youth workers) took part in a long-term training course focused on developing practical working competencies in theatre of the oppressed methodology.The training approach was designed as the following:1)An initial training course for developing basic competencies in theatre of the oppressed methodology (Image and Forum Theatre) for the future multipliers (it took place in Bujumbura, Burundi, in October 2018);2)A practice phase in each of the partner countries, where the multipliers, prepared and implemented Forum Theatre performances for at least 1600 young people (at least 200 in each country). Topics of the performances were bullying, mobbing, domestic violence, family manipulation, gender inequality, drug abuse and early pregnancies. 3)The practice phase was followed by the second training course (which took place in Busteni, Romania, in March 2019), for assessing the first practice phase results, for developing advanced competencies in Theatre of the Oppressed and developing skills in Newspaper and Invisible Theatre.4)The second practice phase took place in the partner countries, where the multipliers transferred their competencies in a new round of performances for more than 100 people in each country. The topics tackled in this phase were: bullying, violence against women, cyber bullying, emotional manipulation in a relationship, road accidents etc.5)A final evaluation meeting was organised in Riga, Latvia, in August 2019, in order to assess and evaluate the impact of the whole project and plan how the network will continue to work in a coordinated manner from now on.6)Each partner disseminated the project results in their communities, to interested people and other organisations, in order to increase the interest of the civil society towards theatre of the oppressed methodology and its impact.The main project results were:-A network of strong organisations competent in theatre of the oppressed on 2 continents.-32 multipliers who are confident and independent practitioners in theatre of the oppressed field.-120 volunteers who got involved in the local performances as actors and support members.-52 performances-2100 direct young audience members-53 additional local partners -9200 indirect beneficiaries-A manual to support youth workers
Partners
AFRICAN CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH LTD
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
BIEDRIBA EUROFORTIS
🇱🇻 Latvia
RAVNOVESIE
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
TANZANIA YOUTH CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
🇹🇿 Tanzania
TEATRO METAPHORA - ASSOCIACAO DE AMIGOS DAS ARTES
🇵🇹 Portugal
VOLUNTEER ACTION FOR CHANGE KENYA
🇰🇪 Kenya YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
🇧🇮 Burundi
Results
Practical & reusable resources for the practitioners
Invisible Theatre Manual
Description
This manual includes very useful information, which, on one side, could be informative for any curious person, but also very helpful and practical for anybody interested to actually practice this method.
-Clear explanations on what the aim is, and overview of this method;
-Concrete examples from our practice and other colleagues in the field;
-Practical guidelines and steps to follow in the process of preparing and implementing Invisible Theatre;
-Ideas and suggestions for handling risks associated with this method;
-Concrete tools for assessing the impact and evaluation of Invisible Theatre results;
-A view on some of the dilemmas triggered by this method;
-A curriculum of exercises, to be used for preparing the actors;
The aim of this manual is:
-To contribute to a more serious, responsible and profound attitudes towards working with Invisible Theatre.
-To equip and prepare Invisible Theatre actors more holistically.
Contents
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