TRAction is proud to present PUBLIC WELCOME, a project branch of TRAction that uses participatory theatre and audience storytelling to engage the public in conversations about climate justice.
PUBLIC WELCOME has been employing techniques borrowed from Playback Theatre and Forum Theatre since its inception through a residency at The Grand Theatre in the Summer of 2021.
We would like to offer PUBLIC WELCOME’s services to organizations in Calgary and the community you serve. We have recently received a small grant from the Arusha Centre that allows us to pay five artists to perform. This means we can show up and facilitate engaging and productive conversations with your community using these theatre-for-social-change methods at a subsidized rate. In short, due to the Arusha Centre’s stipend that covers ⅔ of the event costs, we are able to offer PUBLIC WELCOME’s artistic efforts to your organization for just $200.
What does a PUBLIC WELCOME session look like?
In a typical session, the PUBLIC WELCOME cast engages the audience in some icebreaker activities, after which the facilitator will ask the audience members to tell a story related to their experience with climate change/justice. The performers will then reenact this story using movement and storytelling. The facilitator then asks some follow-up questions to see what (if anything) has changed for the storyteller. We then see how this story has resonated with the rest of the audience and facilitate a conversation around the most salient points.
Many times this brings about empathy, nuance and an understanding of the various systems at play for all the characters involved. Stories from one audience member resonate with the rest of the audience and complexity is revealed that wasn’t there before. In our experience, we have found that this type of artistic creation has a profound effect at getting people out of their brains and into their hands and hearts.
What would we need from you?
Luckily, very little is required of the hosting organization for this event. The cast of PUBLIC WELCOME will take care of the audience during the experience. However, what we do need from you is getting the audience to attend. We are not marketing experts and nor are we tapped into your community. Therefore, we would need your support in promoting this to your community and getting people to show up. Of course, as long as the event is open to the larger public, we could certainly promote this event via our TRAction channels of communication.
Is this held live or online?
We can do either. However, there is an additional $100 fee for a live event (total of $300). We would also require you to organize a venue and that you have all audience members provide proof of vaccination.
Live events have a greater impact using this method of theatre-for-social-change. However, we understand that during these times the safety of the audience and the performers are a priority.
What is TRAction?
TRAction is a collective of interdisciplinary artists who engage communities in cooperative art-making to address issues of climate justice.
TRAction expands and contracts to include other interested allies, professionals, scientists, and artists who work at the intersection of artistic creation and climate change. Using diverse methods of art-making, TRAction works with such allies to address complex environmental issues and advocate for climate justice for all humans and species.
PUBLIC WELCOME is a branch of TRAction that uses theatre-for-social-change methodologies to engage the public around community storytelling and climate justice.
What will this cost?
2 hours facilitated online theatre-for-social-change experience $200
2 hours facilitate live theatre-for-social-change experience $300
I’m interested. What are the next steps?
We'd love to book a meeting with you to chat and ask each other a few more questions. Please email us kevinjesuino(at)gmail.com
Is there a deadline?
There really isn’t a deadline. However, we can offer this subsidized opportunity to only three organizations in the coming year (until December 2022). Once all three opportunities have been booked, any future organizations interested in a booking will be charged full price (value of $300 for an online event & $400 for a live event).
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