ImaginAction in collaboration with Artered is pleased to invite teachers, social workers, psychotherapists, activists, community organizers, artist educators and Students to participate in the Apprenticeship Residency to take place in La Guajira, Colombia from August 2 to August 11, 2013.

Cost

The cost for this residency is $900 USD. This includes the intensive hours of learning, accommodation and food for the 10 days. Does not include airfare!

Participants will have an opportunity to learn techniques that include: Theatre of the Oppressed, psychodrama, traditional storytelling, drumming, improvisational drama, creative ritual and other artistic techniques brought and shared by theparticipants.

We strongly believe in the importance and need of creating spaces where artists and educators come together to learn and exchange practices. On this special occasion distinguished and long time practitioner, director, actor, playwright and Psychologist Hector Aristizabal will lead this apprenticeship in his homeland and offer training and mentorship to the group of participants.

In past residencies in Northern Ireland and China, ImaginAction apprentices have received in-depth, personalized mentoring while the team offers hands-on theatre trainings and interventions in the host community. This immersive process creates much opportunity for reflection on a daily basis—reflection on the transformation of both the community and ourselves!

In addition, participants will meet and work with diverse ethnic and cultural groups such as indigenous and afro-Colombian communities that have long suffered as a result of the armed conflict. As they continue to endure a human rights crisis, regularly confronting forced displacement, loss of cultural identity, racial discrimination, lack of environmental protection and abandonment by governmental institutions, we will learn how they can apply the artistic tools to address and find alternatives to these issues.

We will also enjoy incredible day-trips to some of the outstanding natural
surroundings that the local people are trying to keep from appropriation by the tourist industry.

The basic principles of the apprenticeship techniques are inspired by the Theater of the Oppressed (TO), which was created by Brazilian visionary, Augusto Boal. Theatre of the Oppressed is a form of popular community based education, which uses theater as a tool for social transformation. It’s basic philosophy is to re-humanize humanity. Originally developed out of Boal’s work with peasant and worker populations, it is now used all over the world for social and political activism, conflict transcendence, community building, therapy, and governmentlegislation among other applications. Designed for non-actors, it uses the universal language of theatre as a springboard for people and whole communities to investigate their lives, identify their dreams, and reinvent their future. T.O. invites critical thinking and dialogue. It is about analyzing rather than giving answers. It is also about “acting” (taking action) rather than just talking. With T.O., people can and often do discover empowering solutions to their own struggles. We use theater as a laboratory to explore alternatives to conflict while at the same time having a great time doing it!

About the facilitator

Hector Aristizabal was born in Medellín, Colombia where he had a Distinguished career as director, actor, playwright, and psychologist. He has lived in exile in the U.S. since 1989, where he serves on the board of the Program for Torture Victims and brings theatre skills to his psychotherapeutic work with those who, like him, are survivors of torture. As a therapist, he has provided services to prisoners, AIDS patients and their families, emotionally disturbed youth, and low income immigrant communities. He co-founded the Colombia Peace Project-LA, and Theatre of the Oppressed-Los Angeles and leads TO workshops, based on the ideas and techniques of Brazilian theatre artist and activist Augusto Boal and aimed at using theatre to encourage creative solutions to address injustice. He has performed on stage and screen and his most recent solo work has been featured in theatrical venues, festivals, and human rights conferences around the world. He is creative director of the nonprofit organization, ImaginAction, which trains others in the techniques he has developed, aimed at community healing, community building and reconciliation.

Hector Aristizabal, has received the Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre. The Otto Awards were established in 1998 to recognize and support the ongoing development of political theatre internationally. The Awards Committee, made up of past recipients, recommend a slate of honorees each year, and Hector’s work was selected for recognition on May 20, 2012.

To learn more about Hector Aristizabal visit www.imaginaction.org To apply or if you’d like more detailed information about this apprenticeship, please contact Laura Betancur at laura@artered.org