How to Understand Theatre – idea

Non-formal Education Project in the Field of Contemporary Slovak and European Theatre

How to Understand Theatre is a year-round project of informal education in the sphere of contemporary theatre executed by the Divadelná Nitra Association since 2008. During this period the project was actively joined by 191 students and 5 teachers from 7 collaborating Nitra schools and university departments. The project enriched the traditional dramatic art teaching in secondary schools and at  universities, and it met quite positive reactions of students as well as teachers of the participating schools.    

Based on the facts from the previous years and confirming the methods  of the project in 2011 we are interested ininnovating the project by new activities and broadening it by new program lines (line 2 - an informal education project called How to Understand Theatre for the general public, line 3 - How to Understand Theatre in collaboration with Slovak theatres). The project How to Understand Theatre 2011 will therefore become a complex product which enriches education of young people in the field of dramatic art, activates the general public to which it brings values of contemporary theatre and to Slovak theaters it offers an added value regarding the education and work with the audience.   

One of the most positive features of the project is the fact that it brings practical experience, not just theory. It includes an analysis of text, creative plays, communication with artists, excursions to  backstage and an active participation in evaluating a production.

Aims of the Project

• The aim of the project is through informal education in the field of contemporary theatre to develop traditional knowledge and experience of young people and the general public in regard of theatre, enrich their knowledge about contemporary Slovak and European theatre, dramatic art and dramatic texts.

line 1:

• The How to Understand Theatre wants to be an impulse and source of information in connecting theoretical knowledge from theatre with practical methods, living adventures and personal experience during the process of developing a production, by which the educational process regarding dramatic art in secondary schools and universities may be enriched..

line 2:

• The How to Understand Theatre project wants to activate the general public and offer to it an added value in form of visiting theatre, making familiar a production from the side of its producing, developing knowledge about contemporary theatre, supporting creativity and thinking of art. 

line 3:

• By the How to Understand Theatre we would like to pass experience from the well-established model of education, support the field of informal education in Slovak theaters as an added value for theatre and audience, by which we would like to develop new approaches, forms of addressing, gaining communication with potential viewers and contribute to the education of the audience.

Objectives of the Project

line 1

• the objective of the project is to inspire and motivate young people concerning dramatic art
• to get oriented in contemporary theatre – playwrights and dramatic artists
• to get familiar with theatre and know it not as theory but as a practical creative and artistic activity
• to develop creativity, communication, awareness of diversity of perceiving and thinking

line 2

• activation of the target group - the general public 
• new forms of communication with this target group 
• make access to information regarding dramatic art and contemporary theatre
• learn the general public to perceive the meaning and contexts of a more demanding dramatic work

line 3

• •to support and establish informal education in Slovak theatres
• to develop communication between theatres and their audiences
• to support education of the audience

Idea: How to Understand Theatre

• how to go to theatre
• how to learn about theatre
• how to create theatre
• how to approach theatre
• how to communicate with theatre
• how to be inspired by theatre
• how to mediate theatre
• how to get familiar with theatre
• how to understand theatre
• how to perform theatre
• how to develop theatre
• how to have be delighted by theatre

Key words

• theatre, creativity, play, inspiration, motivation, communication, contact
• informal education, untraditional approaches, new tendencies
• curiosity, searching, knowledge, learning, developing, passing, delight