I. Drama Pedagogy in Croatia

To this day in the Republic of Croatia a systematic education of drama pedagogues does not exist, and drama pedagogy has never been systematically integrated into the school curriculum.

Despite that fact, drama pedagogy has its history – early beginnings date from 1960s and 70s, when, as a part of the Zagreb Youth Theater, Drama Studio Karlovac, etc., drama work with children and youngsters was developed on the basis of principles of contemporary drama pedagogy (Đurđa Dević, Zvjezdana Ladika, Slavenka Čečuk)

Today, a nongovernmental organization, founded in 1996 as Croatian Drama Education Center (HCDO), has an important role in promoting drama pedagogy.

The HCDO initiated and organized many seminars and workshops aimed at enabling professionals with different backgrounds to work with drama.

The HCDO also set criteria for professional training of drama teachers, pedagogues and mentors, for which they get diplomas.

The experiences of the HCDO show that in Croatia professionals of the social-humanistic fields of work have a wide interest and enthusiasm for drama education.

II. Drama pedagogy in the field of social work

Drama pedagogy offers wide possibilities of application of drama in the social work profession. This is best shown through the basic tasks of this profession:
Social work profession:
helps solving problems in human relationships,
supports positive social changes,
supports rights and freedoms of people to achieve better life and well being.

On the other hand, a definition of the International Federation of Social Workers reads that “Social work is applied science focused on clients in such way that each individual develops and uses own individual potentials.”

From the above it is obvious that within this profession the techniques of the contemporary drama pedagogy can find their place. They can be applied in individual work, prevention, educational or group therapies, but also in the work which is aimed at strengthening positive changes in the local community.

III. Implementation of drama pedagogy into the educational system of social workers in Croatia:

BEGINNINGS:

An experimental program called “Expression on the stage” was conducted for the first time at the Social Work Department Study of the Law Faculty in Zagreb in 1989, with a group of 15 students of second year (as optional course in duration of one term, 2 hours a week).

CURRENT STATUS:

Since the school year 2000/01 to date, an optional course “Drama expression in social work” is taught at the Social Work Department Study in Zagreb.

4th year of study
One-term subject
30 hours
Block classes (4 days)
Short introductory lectures
Whole day workshops (experiential study)

What does this subject offer to the students?

Introduction to historical development of drama pedagogy and contemporary approach in using drama pedagogy work with children and young people in Croatia and abroad.
Education of students on possibilities of using drama pedagogy principles with different users group in social work.
Introduction to various drama exercises and improvisations.
Introduction to implementation of various drama techniques within process drama.
Experience with Forum Theatre and Playback Theatre.
Work on topics of wider social importance, which are perceived by students as especially important for the social work profession (e.g. topic “Outcast – stigmatization of some members of society” – frozen images technique; topic “Women in Society” – technique improvisation).
Work on personal topics through implementation of drama and expressive techniques (e.g. workshop “My life path”).
Acquiring practical knowledge on implementation of techniques: topic discussions: when, whom with and in which way should a certain technique be used? What is the aim – or what is the expected result that is important for the social work profession? Which advantages and difficulties can be expected with application of techniques with certain users groups?

Expected results:

Development of creative expression, active approach and critical thinking of the students.
Raising the level of sensibility and awareness for some important aspects of social work (e.g. violence, social disconnection, gender perspectives, etc)
Enabling an independent idea, organization and implementation of projects/workshops that include implementation of drama-pedagogy methods with certain social work users groups.

SOME TOPICS AND SUGGESTIONS OF STUDENT PROJECTS DONE SO FAR:

“MY PLACE UNDER THE SUN“ (work with young people without an adequate parental care who live in residential community, strengthening of personal potentials, preparation for independent life),
“THROUGH ACTING TO SELF-AWARENESS” (work with juvenile delinquents in reformatory, development of social skills, personal growth and development),
“A DESIRABLE PARENT” (work in schools and kindergartens, process drama to strengthen parental competence),
“A HAPPIER COMMON LIFE WITH DIVERSITIES” (an NGO project – strengthening a local community, work with adolescents on international tolerance)
“LET’S BE FRIENDS” (strengthening confidence and accepting children with special needs to integrate in elementary schools),
“STOP BULLYING IN OUR SCHOOL!” (stopping violence among the peers in high schools, learning strategies of standing up to bullying and constructive solution of conflicts through Forum Theatre),
“OVERCOMING THE GENERATION GAP” (work with elderly in pensioners home, strengthening the feeling of belonging, personal importance, confidence…),
“THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL” (work with adults, strengthening the victims of mobbing through support groups in counseling centers)

Here is a more detailed explanation of a project: “PROCESS DRAMA FOR PREVENTION OF DRUG ADDICTION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE”

Our former students, who are now graduated social workers in the “Creative Social Work Association” in Zagreb, organized this project.

In February this year, the Association organized a citizens’ initiative in the local community Dubrava titled “Beauty of life without alcohol and drugs” financed by National Fund for Civil Society Development.

As a part of the initiative, with an aim of preventing addiction among young people, a three-day drama work was organized.

So, from 7-9 February 2006, a project Process Drama for Prevention of Drug Addiction among Young People was conducted (Food science and Biotechnology High School, Agriculture High School, Veterinary School, Grammar School, Centre for Education of Children and Young People with Special Needs). During the three-day sessions we worked on integration of young people from regular high schools with special needs children from the Center.

Because of previous experience they had with drama work, the participants of the workshop expected a classical, theatrical model of drama work, i.e. that in three days we would work on our acting abilities, create a good show and try to perform it as good as we can in front of audience.

Instead, drama work with youngsters during these three days was organized on the basis of principles of contemporary drama pedagogy. We applied process drama in our work – focus was not on creating a show for the audience but on development of dramatic events within the group through work on burning issues – different problems that lead young people to addiction.

Therefore, drama work with young people was from the very beginning was oriented to processes in the group, and from the start of work a special attention was given to creating a good group atmosphere. That is why in the beginning mutual expectations of the group work were defined. To that aim, we used a technique of creating posters by cutting and gluing together motives from different magazines on the topic “What is desirable, what is undesirable?”

After the discussions and conversations, the members of the group defined joint group rules for everyone to respect in order to make our joint work and time more pleasant and useful.

The first part of the group work was aimed at introduction and getting to know each other, opening space to develop creativity and self expressing of each group member. We used different techniques like introduction through favorite music, making group sculptures on different topics (freedom, friendship, etc), forming a rhythm-machine through which the participants had opportunity by repeating a chosen sound and movement to express their joint feeling of school, love, etc.

Following that, gradually we started developing a process drama. We were lead by an idea that the fundamental aim of the process drama is to… “involve young people in the present moment, which slips away easily, in the way that they feel that something important is happening to them and that they can contribute to what is happening and be aware of the experience” (Davis,1998).

Therefore, in order to encourage development of healthy self-critics and critics of young people towards everything that is around us, to help participants to warm up for the work on process drama, we used a method “texts-bates” and making a character on a poster.

After we made a character on a poster, a discussion on an event from the newspaper article followed, on the topic who could be a character from the newspaper article and where could we find causes for his behavior, problem described in the article.

For them to better experience and analyze the situation in which the imaginary character found himself, the next steps were the following techniques: 1. “Frozen images” (three important moments in character’s life), 2. “The truth tunnel” (expressing the attitudes of the community and important persons about the main character), 3. “Hot seating” (talking to the character after the event described in the newspaper article), 4. “A letter from a friend” (writing support to the main character).

The next day we started with working on analyzes of the problems that are seriously burdening young people at presence. All members anonymously wrote their suggestions on a piece of paper, and than we chose three topics which all participants agreed are the most common and the most important problems of young people.

Participants in smaller groups showed the chosen problems through live images. The chosen problems were conflicts with parents, peer pressure and violence, mocking, outcast by the peers.

After that we started with creating scenes. Each small group needed to create an imaginary situation in which they can show certain problem with clearly defined character of antagonist and protagonist. The roles were divided, titles to key scenes given and we started with improvisations.

After each scene, a group analyzes followed and discussion about what we experienced. Participants showed, verbally and non-verbally, how much they enjoyed in sharing this experience.

We devoted the third day to preparations and showing our experience to wider audience. On that day, in the premises of National University Dubrava in Zagreb, a round table was taking place on the topic preventing and treating addiction, in which different background professionals participated (family doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, crime investigators)

As an introduction to that round table, each small group showed a scene of their work. One of the most interested scene improvisations, titled “The trap”, took place, through which the participants showed to the audience their perception of possible causes and consequences of young people’s addiction to drugs.

We can see the obvious positive effect of this project at the level of local community through:

Big turnout of the audience (especially young people – school colleagues, friends who came to see their friends on the stage and even stayed afterwords to participate in the round table, which is rarely a case)
Exceptional satisfaction of the participants (they were proud, joyful, fulfilled)
Confusion but also thrill shown by the experts who were participating at the round table (their active attitude, frequent questions, confrontations with examples…)
Stronger competency of young people, proof that they really know and have something to say about addition and that they can really contribute to what is going on in their lives.