“How did theatre contribute to building resilience in
communities? The aesthetic departure point was performing their
stories. As participants tapped into their source of creative expression
in a safe environment, as they had a sense of being heard and understood, it
led to mutual understanding and confidence. Playbuilding became the
vehicle not just for building skills, but for building identity, confidence,
and relationships, that lead to hope, healing, and to increased resilience.”
This quote is from Laurel Borisenko, a practitioner, researcher, and a visual artist. For the past 15 years
she has worked in the field of humanitarian aid and emergency relief,
including peace-building. Much of her international work has been based
in sub-Saharan Africa with international NGOs as well as seconded to
UNHCR and UNICEF.
Join Laurel this Saturday, January 31 for The Moral Imagination: Arts-Based Strategies for Peace-Building where she will share stories of how theatre has been used in situations of protracted
conflict, using her research from Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The workshop
will be interactive, encouraging participants to apply learnings to their own
context.
Tess Wixted
Learning Associate
Visit us at cstudies.royalroads.ca.
