CAFE PHILO
Accademia Dimitri > Lezioni, Workshop & Eventi > CAFE PHILO – Wednesday 30 March – 18.00 – Presentation “Cultural Comings and Goings”
Theatre and Racism: the “Viavai di culture” project
Meeting with Gabriela Giuria and Giorgio Gilardi
Curated by Giorgio Thoeni
Of all the things there are in the world, racism is the best distributed. It is a rather widespread behaviour, common to all societies to the point of becoming, alas, commonplace. It consists in showing distrust and then contempt for people who have physical and cultural characteristics different from our own. (Tahar Ben Jelloun, Racism explained to my daughter).
A survey carried out by the Federal Statistical Office showed that for 58% of the population racism is a major social problem. In order to guarantee a significant impact on our territory, inside and outside schools, the “Viavai di culture” project was created: a series of theatre workshops to prevent racism and develop “critical thinking”. In order to guarantee a fully relevant approach to the fight against racism, “Viavai di culture” relies on the professional skills of collaborators of the Human Rights Foundation and Amnesty International, so that the theatrical and pedagogical tools and paths developed by the trainers of the Accademia Dimitri and the teachers of the primary schools of the Municipality of Ascona can be integrated in a specific approach to the topic. Theatre implies a dimension linked to meeting and sharing, with moments of presentation and performance by the pupils involved, where the physical and emotional spheres come into contact, as do interpersonal relationships, awareness of oneself, of others and of one’s own actions. How do you deal with all this through theatre and school in order to address often difficult and conflicting issues such as those related to racism? Theory, practice and developments of a topical issue.
Gabriela Giuria
Head of Project Development at the Human Rights Foundation and member of the Cantonal Commission for the Integration of Foreigners (CIS)
Giorgio Gilardi
Director of the Ascona School Institute and member of the Board of Directors of the Accademia Teatro Dimitri
