As part of the Erasmus+ programme, a colleague and I participated in a staff mobility job shadowing activity between 9 and 13 March. We visited Crea Spectacles, specifically its Explor’Acting programme, in Caen, France. The central theme of the mobility was Theatre as a Tool for Social Inclusion.
We observed the work of a theatre pedagogue teaching the basic forms of expression used in theatre: movement (the body), facial expression, sound (voice and rhythm) and expression through objects such as puppets. All these forms can be understood as types of non-verbal communication through which performers seek to express a particular state, event, mood or emotion and share it with the audience.
What initially appeared to be a demanding task proved, thanks to the exceptionally well-designed pedagogical approach, not only achievable for all participants, but also simultaneously challenging and deeply rewarding. The pedagogue guided the group gradually, beginning with simple warm-up exercises before progressing to increasingly complex activities.
Throughout the process, creativity and the desire for new and more demanding tasks were consistently encouraged. The methods and activities presented were relatively simple and required no special equipment. During the evaluation process, we therefore easily identified ways of transferring these approaches into adult education practice, particularly in work with socially vulnerable groups. Because the primary form of communication was entirely non-verbal, many of the barriers created by language were removed from the outset. We observed that such activities significantly strengthen connection and cooperation among group members. They create opportunities to get to know one another on a deeper level, where everyone feels equal. Encouraging creativity, diversity and the acceptance of difference further strengthened interpersonal relationships. For this reason, all participants regretted that the programme concluded after only five days.
Highlights from the mobility and reports published in the Slovenian-language SIAE Newsletter are also provided by participants from other institutions, including those in Krško, Nova Gorica, Novo mesto, Zasavje and Žalec.
Andrej Gregorač (andrej.gregorac@lu-jesenice.net) and Resnija Ređepi (resnija.redepi@lu-jesenice.net), Jesenice AEC