On October 26 starts the Russian-Finnish educational online-program “LearnTogether”. The theme of the project is “Theater projects with children and teenaagers with different background”. Specialists of social and inclusive theater are invited to participate, as well as teachers, tutors and parents who want to work and communicate with children using the methods of modern theater.
The program consists of 5 webinars, built in the form of a dialogue between Russian and Finnish social and inclusive theater specialists. Speakers will consider theater as a way of communication: they will talk about the methods of theater pedagogy in schools, inclusive theater and circus projects, talk about theater projects with kids in a difficult life situation, participatory projects and modern theater with kids and teens.
The project is organized by the Russian Center of creative projects “Inclusion” and the Finnish theater company “Ursa Minor”. “Learn Together.Finland” is implemented using a grant provided by the Russian Cultural Foundation. Information Partners: Social Theater School, portal «Special view».
Specialists from Russia and Finland will take part in the program: theater teachers, contemporary directors, curators of theater projects with the participation of children and kids.
«Finland is known as a country that develops and promotes innovative methods in pedagogy, – says the curator of the program, Yulia Potselueva. – Together we will try to understand what is the key difference between theater pedagogy and participatory projects, what social effect theater projects can have at school or when working with children in a difficult life situation. I think webinars can be of interest to both specialists and a wide range of spectators interested in theater and art pedagogy».
Participation in webinars is free, with prior registration. Registered participants will be able to ask question. The webinars will be held on the Zoom platform with broadcast on Facebook. Webinars will have Russian-Finnish translation and also will be translated to Russian andfinnish Sign Language.
WEBINAR SHEDULE
“Theater pedagogics”
October 26, 17.00 (Moscow time / Fin)
- Finnish speaker: Sanna Saarel, Master of arts, theater teacher. She was the director of the Riihimäki youth theater (Riihimäki youth theater), now she is the executive director of the Association of Amateur Theaters in Finland. Saarela has worked with theater groups with people with disabilities in various ways, and one of her most important tasks is to make theater more accessible.
- Russian speakers: Alexandra Nikitina (theater critic, theater critic, teacher, candidate of art history, researches and develops methods of discussing artistic events with children of different ages). Tatyana Klimova (psychologist, theater teacher, organizer of laboratories and conferences dedicated to the development of children’s and youth theater, developer of school theater pedagogy programs).
REGISTER LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/
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«Participatory projects with teens»
28 October, 17.00 (Мsk/Fin)
- Russian Speaker: Natasha Borenko. Playwright, director, teacher. Focuses on the field of social, documentary and participatory theater. Does, inter alia, professional theatrical projects with the participation of people from different groups of society (adolescents, women, prisoners, homeless people, people with hearing and vision disabilities).
- Finnish Speaker: Joonas Keskinen. Joonas Keskinen (MA) works as the manager of Art Testers [Taidetestaajat] cultural education programme at the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centres. The Art Testers takes all Finnish 8th graders each year (ca. 65 000 people) to a visit in one or two high-esteemed art attractions across Finland, such as theatre, opera, concert or arts exhibition. The visits match well with the objectives of the school curriculum, enable several school subjects to co-work with an emphasis on arts, as well as offer the students a new learning environment outside the school. Joonas believes strongly that aesthetic and emotional experiences through art can help build a more sustainable and better future.
REGISTER LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ucO6grD4vGtKlD16GhdbNddpPj6lSvF6y
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“Theater and art projects with hearing impairments”
November 2, 17.00 (Moscow time) /16.00 (Fin)
Russian speaker: Elena Kocheva. Creator of a charitable organization for an assistance to children and adults with hearing impairment. Curator of the theater school “Inclusion. Kaliningrad”: an inclusive space where children are not supposed to be “fixed”, but are taught to create their own success story.
Finnish Speaker: Noora Karjalainen, artistic director of the “Ursa Minor” theater project. Noora will talk about the educational project LAKU, designed to enable deaf children to practice their favorite art practices in sign language, as well as popularizing Swedish and Finnish sign language.
REGISTER LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlc-6qpj0tHNE_w561ELfCHDVvOadkAZGJ
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“Inclusive Cultural Centers: how does it work”
November 8, 17.00 (Moscow time) /16.00 (Fin)
Russian speaker: waiting for confirmation
Finnish speaker: Katriina Nylund. Art teacher, teacher of the PiiPoo Cultural Center – an accessible center for art and culture. PiiPoo gives everyone equal opportunities to participate in cultural life and artistic processes: events are adapted for all age groups and groups with special needs, provide an opportunity to explore themselves and the world around them, and offer equal means of expression for others.
“Children and teens with different backgrounds. Significant diversity, social and emotional intelligence, understanding”
November 10, 17.00 (Moscow time) /16.00 (Fin)
Russian speaker: Polina Struzhkova. Director, has staged over 25 performances for children and teens. She is a participant of the Young Directing Laboratories, the Golden Mask laboratory and the festivals “Children’s Weekend of the Golden Mask”, “Marshak”, “Golden Turnip”, “Big Break”, “Artmigration”, “Hanger” and others. Curator of groups and author of the course on “Social and Emotional Intelligence” in the educational project for children from foster families “Shalash”.
Russian speaker: Roman Alexandrov. Theater teacher, director, hospital clown. Organizer of the cultural and educational project VSE DELA. He worked as a teacher at the school of non-formal education APELSIN, director and teacher in the workshop of the KUKFO theater, artistic director of the “Circus for hooligans” project in Uppsala Circus.
Finnish speaker: Anna-Kaisia Cronsted. Employee of “All Our Children”, a Finnish organization dedicated to fostering a culture of caring for others. Co-organizer of the Be Brave and Fair seminars. The purpose of these workshops is to foster understanding, develop an understanding of diversity and strengthen caring skills.
REGISTER LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvdeGtpz4iGtNdtU5cp4Ee7Z_P3LIjQNma
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ABOUT “LearnTogether” project:
The «LearnTogether» program is a series of webinars from active professionals of inclusive and social theater in Russia and around the world. The aim of the program is to exchange experience between specialists and familiarize a wide audience with modern methods of socio-cultural inclusion in the broadest sense of the word.
The first part «LearnTogether. Great Britain» was held in January 2021. It was attended by Russian specialists and leaders / teachers of the British theater company Graeae, the oldest inclusive theater project in the UK. Recorded webinars on management, promotion, teaching methods and community engagement of inclusive theater projects can be viewed on the project page.
About “INCLUSION” CENTER
The Center for Creative Projects “Inclusion” is engaged in the development and popularization of inclusive theater in Russia. In February 2022, the Center turns 5 years old. The founder of the Center is the Foundation for the Support of the Deaf-Blind “Con-nection”. To date, the Center has more than 20 inclusive performances staged by famous directors in different cities of the country, 4 nominations for the Golden Mask award, 9 inclusive theater schools in different cities of Russia. The performances of “Inclusion” are included in the repertoire of state and private theaters and participate in prestigious theatrical events. The Center’s flagship performance “In-Touch” is on tour in different cities of Russia and the world. “Inclusion” is a co-organizer of the forum-festival of social theater “Special View” and a partner of the master’s program “Social Theater” at the Russian Institute of Theater Arts – GITIS.
About “OSK URSA MINOR”
The Finnish project “URSA MINOR” works in several directions: staging plays, performances and other art projects adapted for deaf participants and spectators, working with children and adolescents with hearing impairments and popularizing the Finnish sign language. URSA MINOR cooperates with Finnish children’s and teenage cultural organizations, contemporary theaters and other cultural institutions in Finland.
Photo of the poster: the play «Odyssey 2K19» of The Social-Art Theater.