Newspaper Theatre was defined by Augusto Boal as the first branch of Theatre of the Oppressed. How can this form be used with Social Media and the explosion of fake news?
Developed in the first years of Brazil’s 20th century dictatorship. It was a weapon to fight against censorship and information manipulation by media outlets collaborating with military forces. During those early performances, the leaflet distributed said, “If you have a problem do not discuss it, put it on stage! We will help you do it.” In other words, Newspaper Theatre was also a way to democratise the means of artistic and media production. These aims were the basis of Theatre of the Oppressed as a practice in the struggle for fairer societies.
The situation of Newspaper Theatre trying to evade censorship under the Brazilian dictatorship differs in many ways from the situation created by the spread of information in social media and the explosion of “fake news.” What is Newspaper Theatre’s purpose in our current situation? To what extent is it the same as in the moments of it articulation?
Bertolt Brecht said: “if reality is to be reproduced in such way that, thanks to that reproduction, an intervention in that reality can be produced, the methods have to be changed or renewed in response to the ever-changing social situation in which the intervention must take place” . The Newspaper Theatre techniques developed in the 1970s must be reviewed in the light of the current situation. Therefore, this training will share theoretical background within different games, exercises, and techniques to include the impact of social media in the production of news in current times.
It is open to anyone who has an interest in discussing current social and political issues through theatre. No previous experience is needed. The only requirement is to have a matter of interest and, if possible, a piece of news about it. At the end, the participants will have acquired a basic knowledge about Newspaper Theatre techniques that will enable them to create theatrical scenes through this practice.
Fri 15 – Sat 16 March 2024, 10am-5pm
For further information, please contact gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk, call 07714 321629 or visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/newspaper-theatre-in-times-of-social-media-tickets-772861548697?aff=oddtdtcreator