This programme is based on the promotion of ethical values in schools, through theatre. More than 10,000 young people have already passed through Arantzazu to participate in the experience.

This programme uses theatre as a tool to promote ethical values in schools, through three thematic cycles: (1) prevention of bullying, (2) respect in teen relationships, gender issues and the expression of feelings, (3) equality in cultural diversity and immigration.

Forum Theatre is a technique developed by Augusto Boal in Brasil in the 1970’s. Through this form of theatre a group of actors present a play, which relates certain problems, unsolved at the plays end. The students are then invited to redesign the play, the scenes and even the setting, in order to change the story’s events. The actors, which by now include members of the young audience, then recreate the scenes under the direction of other students, and through their own intuition. After the ‘forum’ a workshop is carried out to provide space for the students to reflect on the experience and to find a place for it in their day-to-day lives in school.

Schedule

-Autumn term: Prevention of racism and bullying, directed at young people aged 8 to 12 years.
-Spring term: Expression of feelings, teen relationships, gender equality, directed at young people aged 13 – 14 years.
-Summer term: diversity in the classroom, immigration and integration, directed at young people 15 – 16 years.

The programme is implemented in Arantzazu, Monday to Thursday from 10:00 until 15:30 including a break for lunch and a brief guided tour of the Sanctuary. Every day a group of between 30 and 50 students from their corresponding schools travel to Arantzazu to participate in the programme. Each year 92 sessions are divided proportionally between the various school networks of the three regions of the CAV.

On finishing the programme teachers receive a teaching guide to provide the option of follow-up work in their schools.

In addition to the forum theatre project Baketik has designed a participatory theatre programme, entitled Testimonies, which approaches the issue of suffering, and the suffering endured by victims of the Basque conflict, for audience members of between 16 – 18 years. By now this programme has been assisted by approx. 300 young people in the Basque Region.

Baketik also provides teacher and adult training in the techniques of Forum Theatre.