A method to help businesses

Keeping the company running smoothly is a priority for every manager. Even the biggest companies face difficulties.

Rimanta Vaičekonytė reveals that there are effective tools to help companies improve the internal atmosphere of the organisation. One of the methods - Forum theatre.
"Forum theatre in business is an opportunity for communities to get to know each other better, to build strong values, to learn how to be more open and empathic, to collaborate and engage in dialogue" - says the actress.

All members of the team should be included - this helps to build stronger relationships.

"Forum theatre can be used to strengthen a wide range of skills that are important for employees - the ability to present ideas clearly, to express one's opinion confidently, to listen respectfully to others, to solve problems creatively. Finally, this tool gives opportunity to express oneself creatively, to see others in unconventional circumstances, to have fun together with the team and to relax" - says R. Vaičekonytė.

Long-lasting effect

Forum theatre is one of the methods of Theatre of the Oppressed, widely used in many countries around the world. Interactive and immersive theatre methods, where real-life situations are explored on stage, help people to strengthen existing skills and develop missing ones.
Įmonėms taikomų metodų spektras labai platus, sako R. Vaičekonytė. Vieni užsiėmimai gali trukti keletą valandų, kiti – tęstis keletą dienų.

"We use not only the Forum theatre method, but also other methods of the Theatre of the Oppressed - games, exercises, Image theatre. All the sessions have their own structure, which allows participants to get acquainted, to know each other better, to talk about values, to discuss controversial topics, to talk about social problems and find ways to overcome them" - says the interviewer.

The sessions combine creative, psychological and managerial approaches. Sessions are facilitated by Virginija Skučaitė-Budrienė, psychologist and Analytical psychotherapist, who has been working with these methods for 15 years. Business administrator, financier and educator Jūratė Kalčytė-Juzelskienė manages activities and projects of the institution, while actress and lecturer Rimanta Vaičekonytė works with the groups and teaches classes.

According to R. Vaičekonytė, theatre sessions have a lasting impact on the participants. "The essence of Forum theatre is dialogue. Its creator, the Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, pointed out that people talk a lot, but very often they talk in monologues. So he invited us to find ways to turn these monologues into dialogues".

Different approaches for different companies
Companies and organisations differ in various aspects. Therefore the same activities and approaches cannot be effectively applied to all companies.

It is important for us to take into account the individual needs of each company and to meet them.

After the sessions "House of Arts and Education" can provide feedback and recommendations how these methods can be further applied in the company's future activities.

Supported by
Ministry of Social Security and Labour
Programme for strengthening institutional capabilites