On Friday, August 22 and Saturday August 23 at 5:00pm, following a week of training and rehearsals, a group of Syrian young people will perform interactive theatre, created by them, on education, women’s empowerment and other youth issues.
The 20 participants, between the ages of 14-30, were chosen from over 70 who auditioned and represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Some are in high school; some in college studying journalism or engineering among others, some volunteer or work for organizations such as the Syrian Arab Red Cross; some work in different fields such as radio, design, or tourism; some are professional actors or currently studying acting and theatre. But all are linked by their love of acting and desire to make a positive impact on society.
During the eight-day training, participants write and perform an interactive play from scratch. In addition to workshops on the theory and practice of interactive theatre, they will also learn about different social issues and improve their business skills with presentations on career planning and marketing skills. It is expected that after this experience, participants will take these skills back to their organizations and schools and help educate others.
The training and performances are a joint effort of Y-Peer and SHABAB. Y-Peer is an initiative of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) that relies on youth educating youth to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, gender equality, and other social issues. Starting in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in 2000, it has since spread to numerous countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South America, including Syria beginning in 2006. SHABAB (Strategy Highlighting And Building Abilities for Business) is a program of President Bashar al-Assad’s to support entrepreneurship, encourage youth to enter the work force, increase their skills, and create positive impacts on society through their work.
Trainers include Lana Mayqri, a volunteer with Syrian Arab Red Crescent and member of Y-Peer Syria, Tamara Abbadi, UNFPA Jordan, and Radwan Watty and Rana Khalaf from SHABAB.
The training will culminate in two free performances at the Circle Theatre at the Higher Institute for Arts next to Dar Al-Opera. Friday August 22nd the actors will perform for youth, and the following night will perform for non-governmental organizations. Both performances begin at 5:00pm.