Theatre - rehearsal of successful integration into job market

In this project two kinds of organizations from 4 countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Iceland) will meet: the ones, which have experience in using theatrical methods and those working with socially vulnerable unemployed persons.

Two theatre methods are chosen for the project: Forum theatre and Rainbow of Desire. Forum theatre is aimed at strengthening social skills, learning to deal with difficult social situations, being assertive and as well staying attentive and empathetic to others. Rainbow of Desire is designed to enhance psychological abilities to reach goals, have positive attitudes, trust in oneself.

Specialists of theatre and employment together will create methodological material, practical easy-to-use tool which will reflect how theatre methods can help unemployed persons to develop their social and personal skills, needed to integrate successfully into job market. Participants will analyze situation of unemployment in each participating country, decide on 10 most important themes (main difficulties and challenges for unemployed people), learn to use theatre methods in their work and test them in experimental work with the target group (socially vulnerable unemployed persons).

Expected themes should include self presentation skills, effective communication with potential employer, etc. Coordinators will gather all the experience of partners and publish methodological material, which will present comparative analysis of situation, theoretical background of methods used and comprehensive description, plan of work, methods and examples for each of 10 themes. It will be presented in final conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, where specialists of employment, education, social work and potential employers will be invited.  Vilniuje, kur dalyvavo visų šalių partneriai. 

Publications

2015 08 - the start of the project. 

2015 10 27-30 - the first meeting of the participants in Vilnius. Participants will come to Vilnius on 27 October. The work will start on 28 October, in the morning. On the first day participants will introduce themselves, coordinators will present the project, supporting programme, main aims and tasks. Partners will present the analysis of situation in each country. With the help of the mediator 10 main themes, relevant to all the partners, will be chosen. They will be discussed, main challenges found, representatives of each country will share why this theme might be important to it and what ways do they know in their state to solve it. Partners later will work with them in the project with the target group. On the second day Theatre institutions ("House of Arts and Education", Lithuania and NGO "Forum theatre" from Estonia) will make a training of theatre methods where participants will work with the selected themes themselves. They will try methods, learn about them theoretically and practically and will experience what it means to be a participant in this kind of activity. So they will be in the role of their clients. 8 hours of work will be devoted to learn theatre methods. Finally, on the third day participants will talk about future activities, share responsibilities, discuss future cooperation, plan, tasks, will ask questions about methods, themes or other relevant issues and leave on the same day. 

2015 11 01 - 2015 11 20 coordinating institution ("House of Arts and Education", Lithuania) will prepare guidelines for experimental work with theatre methods. 

2015 12 01 - 2016 05 30 - each partner in each participating country will have 10 meetings - activities with the target group. Each meeting will be devoted to each selected theme and will endure 3-4 hours. The group will consist of 15-20 socially vulnerable, unemployed persons. After each meeting partners will send feedback (filled in questionnaire and also their own remarks, questions, challenges, examples) to coordinating institution. 

2016 06 01 - 2016 10 31 - preparation and publication of methodological material, translation into all the languages of participants (plus English). Each theme will be described, plan for the activity presented, main issues and questions raised, methods, games, exercises suggested. It will be both published (50 copies for each participating institution) and freely available on the websites of all the participating institutions. This will be a practical, easy-to-use tool for specialists of employment, education or social work. It might be used as a system, to work with all the presented themes but likewise only themes which seem important to specialists might be selected and worked with - all the necessary information for the activity with the group on the chosen theme will be presented in the description of this theme. Methodological material will consist of 50 pages. 

2016 11 01 - 2016 11 20 preparation for final international conference.

2016 11 23 - 25. Final international conference in Vilnius. Representatives from each participating institution will come to Vilnius on 23 November. 24 November the final conference will take place. It is estimated that it will take approximately 4-5 hours. About 150 people will participate as the audience. It will be specialists of education, employment, social work, potential employers and others who might benefit from this kind of experience. Participants from each country will share lessons learned, their observations, advises for other specialists. Published methodological material will be presented and freely available to all the participants of the conference. Practical activities will also be organized which will show how these methods really work, audience will be invited to be active and even to try these theatre methods by themselves during the conference. After the conference participants of the project will have a meeting, where they will discuss the project and will talk about the possibilities of future cooperation, further implementation of activities, sustaining and developing the network. Partners wil leave Vilnius on 25 November. 

2016 11 25 - 2016 12 15 - preparation of documents for the final report.

2015 08 15 - 2016 12 15 - dissemination of the project.

Methodics

Partners

  • The Wonder Theatre (Iceland)

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