Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
20th – 22nd February 2009
The Conference „DRAMA/THEATRE AND RELIGION”
will be realized in cooperation with and with support from the IDEA/International Drama and Theatre in Education Association/.
On the 24th February 2009 Mostar Youth Theatre will celebrate ist 35th anniversary. Mostar Youth Theatre ist the pioneer of drama - pedagogical work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This conference is a contribution of the Centre for Drama Education to this important jubilee.
The conference will try to explore the relation between drama/theatre and religion in the time in which we live, and try to give answers to numerous dilemmas and questions that can arise from this topic.
This conference will also try to point at numerous religious intepretations of drama/theatre, but also at power, influence and inspiration that religion can offer to modern drama and theatre.
We want to offer our reflections and experiences from life in multi-confessional community, which endured a war with characteristics of a religious conflict, but also to learn about experiences of others in order to find the way for our own development, progress and better mutual understanding in future.
The conference is intended for all those who believe that the theatrical art has a power which influences the conciousness of individuals, their behaviour and changes, for all those who believe that chenging the individuals we change the world in which we are living, and for those who want to change the world in which we are living together with other people in our close environment and elsewhere.
The conference is specifically intended for those who believe that there are no strong limits which cannot be overcome by the power of human mind united in an idea of creating a new work, new energy, new future…
The conference is intended for all those who believe that the theatre and theatrical art are the right of all, and not the privilege of the chosen ones.
The conference is also intended for those who, by using the theatre and theatrical art as means, help other people better understand the world in which they are living and to empower themselves for the life in that world.
The key speakers will provoke a discussion and ask questions to which we shall be searching for answers during the conference.
We shall try to reach the possibility for a dialogue betwen different cultures, the results of that dialogue, the possible consequences of a lack of such dialogue.
Wes hall try to explore what we have done so far, where we are now and what we need to do.
Through the workshops we shall present in practice various methodologies of work, establish a dialogue and explore the opportunities and the problems of such dialogue. The workshops will be realized in local community and with target groups for which the workshops are prepared.
We shall present three performances the contents of which correspond to the topic of the ceonference.
We shall attend the award ceremony of the International prize for contribution to the development of drama education "Grozdanin kikot".
We invite all those who are interested to participate at the Conference, to apply with their reports, presentation of their work, workshops or any other form of active participation. Beside the title of your presentation/workshop it is also necessary to submit a short description of the topic of which you would like to talk or the work you want to present. This summary should not exceed 1500 characters. The guests of the Conference will be those participants whose topics are accepted for presentations.
The deadline for applying is November 15th, 2008.
The language of the Conference: Local and English.
The participation fee: 80,00 euros or 160,00 KM which includes all Conference material, Conference Book from the previous Conference (2007) in local language(s) and in English language, as well as the right to participate in the pre-conference workshops and post-conference master workshops free of charge.