Peace-building theatre work

Advanced training in intercultural theatre work in times of crisis

Expertise in intercultural encounters in crisis and conflict areas, peace work and trauma-sensitive theatre work

A unique opportunity to experience intercultural work in local and international conflict and crisis areas and to apply theatre practice to overcome difficult living conditions.

Modules A can be attended independently from module B.

Modul A

Acquisition of competences in transcultural theatre work, peace work and trauma-sensitive creation.

Topics: Safety, power-critical attitude, gender and cultural sensitivity, identity and awareness work, mediation and body work

Modul B

Journey to a crisis/conflict area for practical work in performing arts

For theatre professionals, performing artist, social workers, theatre and movement educators, NGO employees in an international context, art students, …

Modul A

This basic module takes place in Switzerland
and covers various topics and learning objectives:

Learning objective: To create a common basis for a trusting and respectful approach to different ways of thinking, dealing and behaving

Safety concerns the level of emotional, physical and local safety. The first principle in trauma-sensitive work is to establish inner and outer safety. We deal with this,

  • how trust-creating conditions can be established in the respective theatre work.
  • how to create an awareness of the environment/context in which one works and the ensemble/group.
  • to develop skills in order to create common foundations for a trusting and respectful approach to different ways of thinking, dealing and behaving in inter- and dance-cultural work and to incorporate these creatively into the theatre process in all their diversity.
Learning objective: Recognising and defusing power structures and discrimination in the group and environment – and being able to deal with them.

Culture is not a static state, but a process that is closely linked to power relations, their change and various social influences. A power-critical attitude is crucial to recognising inequality and discrimination.

Relationships in intercultural work are often characterised by status and legal inequality, a wealth gap and projections. We work on recognising these – instead of making them taboo and talking them down – and finding ways to reduce the power imbalances and also to ‘endure’ the differences without actively making use of them.

We deal with

  • with the historical and political framework conditions that have created and still maintain the power relations and critically analyze colonialism and today’s concepts of ‘development’, ‘development policy’, ‘development aid’ and volunteer work.
  • different perspectives and experiences of course participants from the South and the North. They flow into the direct concrete rehearsal work and support the participants’ own reflection process.
  • (theoretical, practical, theatrical) with racism and sexism. Dealing with resources and labour relations and our (western) footprint in the world are also included.
  • with relationships in intercultural work: these are often characterised by status and legal inequality and a wealth gap. We are working on recognising this and instead of making it a taboo, talking it down or pretending it doesn’t exist. This includes working with different languages, language mediators (translators) and how to communicate even without a common language, as well as communicating with local structures – in order to establish connections instead of having a divisive effect.
Learning objective: To develop self-reflection that serves as a basis for theatre work in conflict and crisis areas (local and international)

Creating a basis of trust requires honesty, long-term groundwork, solidarity and commitment and is not just there because you say so and want it. Clarifying one’s own cultural development, motives, motivation and an awareness of one’s own starting position are the basis. We deal with the questions:

  • Why do I want to do this work? What is my own self-image and what is my actual motivation and starting point for working and/or wanting to work in this field?
  • What prejudices, attributions and intentions do I harbour openly or hidden within me? What social position (and power) do I bring to the work/group?
  • What are my strengths and resources?
  • How do I deal with gender, GBG/SGBV and does my approach change in unfamiliar environments?
  • What is my understanding of being the initiator/director/performer of an artistic work/theatre work?
  • How great is my ability to question myself?
Learning objective: To create the basis for an inspiring and open working process in a group

In order for everyone to be able to engage with all their differences and move as freely as possible and to inspire and cheer each other on in their artistic work, a group/ensemble needs a basis for an inspiring and open rehearsal process. We explore the questions:

  • what is the difference between determining, directing and enabling? What are the underlying goals of my theatre work and can these be reconciled with the ensemble, with the people in the group? Is the rehearsal process in harmony with the performance – path and goal?
  • What if I don’t speak a common language with my working partners and/or participants?
  • Where do I support the participants in a group and where can I challenge them? Where are my own limits in artistic work with a group/ensemble and can I recognise the limits of others? Am I aware of the tension between a professional attitude and giving myself as a whole person and also between my own political commitment and cultural work?
  • Is it possible to practise empathy and how can contradictions be endured?
  • How can the different aesthetic perspectives/artistic forms combine or stimulate each other? Can I let go of my standards of judgement and / or change them and open myself up to the new or is my habitual way of seeing things the yardstick for artistic quality?
  • How can I give impulses to set the other person’s creative process in motion without imposing my ideas of art on them? How can characters/figures leave the cliché and create their own figures – and where can I work with the cliché without cementing a point of view? How can prefabricated images (mostly created by the media world) be abandoned – transformed – and how can one’s own creativity/ imagination be uncovered – stimulated? How can the space for personal initiative be encouraged?
  • Do I recognise power structures in the group and how can I find ways to change them productively? How can I recognise smouldering conflicts, redirect them and transform them into creative potential/play? How do I deal with conflicts between individuals within the group?
Learning objective: To experience the body and movement as a fundamental instrument of encounter.

We look at the use of physical exercises in other cultures and context-related physical exercises. Creating trust through the body. This has the following components:

  • How do I move in space? Artistic freedom in the context of respecting different cultural customs.
  • Working with the voice and the body – e.g. body percussion
  • What can be recognised and expressed how and where through the body
  • Dealing with stress and trauma – activation and relaxation
  • Dealing with rituals within artistic work
  • Emergency kit with different exercises
Learning objective: To learn about and apply methods of resource-strengthening trauma pedagogy.

We deal with the consequences of violence and trauma and immerse ourselves in resource-strengthening trauma pedagogy. To do this, we work with a model that is understandable for everyone and is designed to regulate tensions and better master everyday life, thus building up resources that help to process experiences and traumas. We work on the following aspects in an action-orientated way:

  • What is trauma and where does it settle?
  • How do we counter dissociative behaviour?
  • How can we strengthen resilience and prevent re-traumatisation?
  • How can we learn to be mindful of our own resources?
  • Getting to know theatre tools for activating and strengthening life forces

Dates: 18.-22.05.25

Cost: 1500 CHF (reduction possible)

Modul B

This module builds on the first, applies the content and takes place abroad
The module is currently being planned

The moment you work interculturally, you are right in the middle of the conflict – because 500 years of colonial history cannot be wiped away with good will or conscious behaviour.

We want to enable theatre work that strengthens peace. In order to prepare a basis of trust for future work, it is important to clarify one’s own cultural development and become aware of one’s own starting position. The aim is to create an inspiring and open working process in which everyone can get involved with all their differences and move as freely as possible.

The more heterogeneous a group is, the greater the challenge of involving everyone on an equal footing according to their abilities and capabilities, and the richer and more creative the joint process can be. This requires a differentiated and precise awareness (also of one’s own motives) and careful work – this is what we are concerned with.

On a journey we apply the basics of intercultural theatre work (Module A). This includes, among other things

  • Developing a performance together with the local theatre group.
  • Finding a common theatre language in which all participants can experience and develop their own creative powers according to their skills, abilities and needs.
  • To promote a sense of community in the working process and performances.

The different perspectives and experiences of the course participants from the South and the North flow into the direct concrete rehearsal work and support the participants’ own reflection process, as well as continuous reflection rounds.

Follow soon

Contact us if you are interested in a local/international collaboration

The Team

Anina Jendreyko

Director – actress – lecturer – trainer for resource-strengthening trauma education and specialist counselling (Berlin Institute)

Critically examines questions of identity, society, transculturality and power relations.

Giorgia Marzetti

Actress – Lecturer

Works in the independent scene

Giulia Crescenzi

Actress – Lecturer

Works in the independent scene

Simon Wahl

Actor – Environmental scientist

Works in the independent theatre scene. Initiator of various international sustainability projects

Our motivation,
our thoughts

In our theatre work, we see diversity and the differences of all participants as a great value

and the process of confrontation and conflict as a richness in which creative power and community arise.

Theatre always has to do with conflict. The moment you work interculturally, you find yourself in the middle of this conflict. We want to initiate sustainable projects that strengthen people, solidarity and emancipatory processes within conflict-ridden areas and society.

Working internationally and interculturally means questioning power relations

Colonialism is not a stand-alone, but a constitutive moment of modernity – economically, culturally and aesthetically. The Eurocentric depiction of colonial history was hegemonic for a long time. It has had a significant influence on us and has a profound effect on the present.

The rise of war rhetoric and toxic demonstrations of power emphasise the urgency of opening spaces that reject the ‘either or’ approach

and not be torn between polarisation, but instead struggle for a stance that focuses on humanity, community and liberation.

The logic of war is fuelling authoritarianism, nationalism and homogenisation on all sides. Contradictions are covered up by national consensus.

Encounters can open up spaces in which community emerges as a message, as a visualisation of utopia and peace

Overcoming borders, barbed wire, compartmentalisation, prejudice and separation together – and making community visible.

Artistic work opens up spaces in which community is created as a message of utopia and peace. Through theatre work, life forces can be activated, self-confidence and a sense of community strengthened.

Interculture is a living reality, often challenging and always enriching

Interculture understood as a process that views the diversity of our society as a wealth. Developing openness towards one another requires a process of becoming aware of the various power and gender asymmetries and reflecting on and changing them.

With our theatre work we imitate sustainable projects that strengthen solidarity and emancipatory processes within conflict-ridden areas – society.

A critical attitude towards power and gender inequality is crucial, because otherwise inequality and discrimination can neither be recognised nor overcome, even in an artistic project.

Activating life forces through trauma-sensitive theatre work, strengthening self-awareness and a sense of community.

Artistic exchange through practical collaboration

Learning from each other

Making stories visible

Developing utopias

Overcoming borders, fences, barbed wire

Building new bridges

Building community – empowering people