2nd Workshop

"Freedom and Opression"

Title of the activity: Freedom and Oppression

Date and place: 10.06.2024 - Young Folks LV's office, Riga, Latvia

Duration: 1.5-2 hour

Aim of the activity: to use the art and theater as a tool to fight discrimination and bullying through roleplaying and simulations. Additionally, to deepen emotional exploration and expression through body language and develop empathy and understanding of social dynamics by embodying roles of oppressor, oppressed, and neutral spectator. To foster self-expression, critical thinking, and discussion around real-life parallels.

Participants info: 15 young people and youth leaders/workers aged 16-24 participants 

Description of the activity:

Participants were divided in 3 groups and were given tasks to model their vision of freedom and oppression by their bodies. Each group created their own sculptural image of freedom firstly and then oppression. The facilitator took a picture of an image created on each topic by each group and after given activity these pictures were used for a reflection. Groups were asked to explain what they wanted to express by their body, why specifically this movement was used to express freedom and why another for oppression? what they felt during activity? How they managed teamwork through activity and what role played it.

After reflection of the first activity, we divided teams into three groups - group of oppressed, group of oppressors and group of neutral spectators. Each participant got their specific roles according to the groups. Within the group each participant had different situations and they were given firstly 5-10 minutes to individually get to know their role and try to imagine themselves in given roles. After that groups came together and started sharing their roles - oppressed with oppressed, oppressors with oppressors and spectators together. After that according to scenarios oppressors, oppressed and spectators started to play out their roles in a theater one by one. After all of them showed their work the discussion was held where the participants reflected on their feelings in their roles, how their scenarios are connected to real life situations, and how they would behave if it was happening with them in real life. The last point of reflection was the role of neutral spectators and how they could change reality and consequences of play.