Training

Theatre of the Oppressed in the Jungle

I have collaborated with Actionwork®’ to provide you with the ultimate Theatre of the Oppressed training programme. You will spend 2-weeks in Malaysia with me that includes 1-week in the jungle working with a tribe of people called the Temiar. The Temiar are known to be amongst the most peaceful people in the world. They are an oppressed people, with logging companies and oil palm plantation corporates cutting down the forest and taking their ancestral land. The Temiar are in the midst of a 10-year struggle to try and claim back some of their ancestral land by peaceful blockades and advocacy.

You will spend 2 weeks in Malaysia that includes a week in the jungle learning from one of the most peacful groups of people in the world; the Temiar Orang Asli People.

This two week programme will extend your Theatre of the Oppressed knowledge through direct contact with an aboriginal community. Participants will get first hand experience of the way of life of the Temiar, their culture, confict resolution strategies, dreams, rituals and many other facets.

What is included in the programme:

  • – Forum, Invisible and Image Theatre training and practice
  • – Introduction to Rainbow of Desires and Legislative Theatre
  • – Augusto Boal techniques and terminology support
  • – Performing in the jungle and in the city
  • – Temiar language and cultural support
  • – 4 nights accommodation and breakfasts in Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (3 star or better)
  • – 2 nights accommodation and breakfasts in Cameron Highlands
  • – Transport from Kuala Lumpur in and out of the jungle
  • – 6 nights accommodation in Temiar jungle houses
  • – 7 days meals in jungle with Temiar families
  • – 1 all night sing, dance and trance ritual with Temiar in jungle
  • – Observing Temiar blockades and peaceful protest
  • – Temiar craft-making session and jungle trek
  • – Making a Temiar bamboo raft and taking it on the river
  • – Swimming in jungle river
  • – Storytelling with Temiar people
  • – Cook a Temiar traditional meal
  • – Visit to a Chinese night market and a live butterfly farm
  • – Visit to a Malaysia Mosque
  • – Visit to a Malaysia tea plantation (tea is extra)
  • – Other amazing activities to be included
  • – Certificate of completion
  • – Suggested packing list
  • – Friends for life
  • – Once in a lifetime experience

What is not included:

  • Travel and flights to or from Malaysia
  • Health or Travel insurance
  • Travel to and from airports
  • Meals in Kuala Lumpur or Cameron Highlands unless otherwise stated

You will also be given a suggested packing list and items to bring as presents for aboriginal families you may stay with.

Costs: £1435 per person. 20% non-refundable deposit payable on booking. Please note that there is limited availability on the this amazing programme. We will be a small group. https://www.actionwork.com/totojungle.htmlIn the below link trainers talk about their training they recently completed with me.

I would like to say that it was after attending your Breaking Barriers workshop back in 2008, that I was inspired to become a Dramatherapist – the course was amazing; and stimulated suppressed feelings and brought them into consciousness in a safe way. You are doing some amazing work with so many different client-groups across the globe. I sincerely hope we can have the pleasure of working together some day soon. Keep up the good work, keep Healing and keep Inspiring! -Judy

In this video Barbara Santos explains the process of Theatre of the Oppressed. It was based on the feedback process my company ‘rehearse the revolution’ received when performing our show at the http://www.kuringa.org/en/april-in-kuringa-forum-theatre-festival.html in Berlin Germany October 2019

In this video Katy Rubin & Sulu LeoNimm from Theatre of the Oppressed NYC explain the process of Legislative Theatre. It was a session from the Joker Exchange (world first) day on 2nd May 2020 to honour Augusto Boal & Paulo Freire. https://jokerexchange.sutra.co/circle/d717l/circles

RAINBOW of Desires Training (theatre of the oppressed)

This workshop will enable participants to use techniques from Augusto Boal’s Rainbow of Desire to explore internal oppressions or “cops in the head”. The theme of the weekend will be Conflict.

Rainbow of Desire, an Image Theatre technique, is a technique similar to Cop-in-the-Head. Where Cop uses games and exercises to recognize and confront internalised forms of oppression, Rainbow of Desire deals with conflicting needs, desires and wants among individuals and explores power relations and collective solutions to concrete problems.

This is a method and set of techniques that is especially
useful for teachers, educators, social workers, psychologists, mental health professionals, community activists and other group leaders who work with marginalized and disadvantaged populations, who have been victims of bias, discrimination and oppression.

Rainbow of Desire is intended to examine conflict within groups, and to seek ways to resolve those situations of conflict.

At the end of this workshop will ‘develop’ the ROD practice group, where others can meet on a monthly basis to ‘try –out’ other techniques from Boal’s arsenal to practice and learn them for their own endeavours.

To book this forthcoming training workshop register here: http://bit.ly/3gt4fWe

The Mechanics & Science of Games and Exercises (Breaking Barriers)

A creative arts Training course specialising in:

  • Augusto Boal techniques
  • Improvisation
  • Devising
  • Performance
  • Facilitation
  • Youth Arts
  • Exploring issues;
  • Arts within Criminal Justice Settings

This highly practical hands-on course is particularly suited to people who want to experience and practice a variety of creative action methods in group work to explore issues, make theatre or work within challenging contexts.

Breaking Barriers Workshop from Tony Cealy

Who is this for?
People interested in using drama and theatre as a tool to explore personal and social issues, and for people who want to gain new skills to fulfil their obligation and commitment to the people they serve. The course covers exercises with explanations, instructions and suggestions to help you develop your own style and approach. The creative action methods can be readily adapted to a wide range of settings with adults and young people.

The course is a resource for: performers, youth workers, social/health workers, PSHE specialists, drama graduates, project managers, community workers, artists, workshop leaders, teachers, theatre practitioners, creative art therapists, counsellors, mental health workers, team builders and special needs workers.

No previous drama experience is necessary however a willingness to actively explore new methods of working is an essential requirement. This will also be an opportunity for professional development, networking and skill sharing so as to enable continued high standards of good practice.

For myself, I always find these training courses a great shot in the arm, as I have the privilege of watching another cohort of people discover the incredible possibilities of my practice. Usually I have people from all walks of life – activists, social workers, teachers, actors, youth workers, directors, you name it – and the diversity of the group often becomes a great networking resource in itself.

All participants receive a free TRAINING MANUAL on completion. Limited amount of reduced rates available. 

Beyond Resistance

A training course for Facilitators in dealing with Resistance

This highly practical hands-on course is particularly suited to frontline workers, youth offender teams, teachers,  facilitators and workshop leaders who want to acquaint themselves with the challenges involved in working with ‘hard’ groups within prisons, hospitals, probation centre’s, youth clubs, pupil referral units and holiday schemes. You will be able to experience, practise and learn a variety of techniques in managing and dealing with resistance and disengagement in challenging settings.

The facilitator has to perform radical and innovative functions. It’s different from a director, teacher, youth leader, a shaman, cultural activist, therapist or a joker, yet it borrows aspects of these roles.

The facilitator needs to select the most appropriate games, exercises and techniques to bring out the best of the group, which means looking at the geographical, social and cultural context of the workshop session.

The facilitator needs to know enough about participants’ situations to reasonably assess how they’re likely to respond to different stimuli.

How does the facilitator deal with the challenges involved in working with ‘hard’ groups behind closed doors? What does a facilitatordo? What are the nuts and bolts of facilitation?

Who is this for?
People who are in related professions such arts practitioners, social care, therapy, mental health, education, community arts or personal development as well as students and trainees in such professions.

Applications are also encouraged from social inclusion partners who are interested in understanding the role and value of arts-based practice to the groups they work with.  It is also for group leaders and anyone who works with difficult groups.

The training covers techniques with explanations, instructions and suggestions to help you develop your own style and approach. The techniques can be readily adapted to a wide range of difficult settings with adults and young people.

No previous experience is necessary however a willingness to actively explore new methods of working is an essential requirement. This will also be an opportunity for reflective practice, professional development, networking and skill sharing so as to enable continued high standards of good practice.

Participants from previous courses

“Having attended many courses, programmes and seminars over my twenty years of employment within various facets of the Criminal Justice System I must say that the course was the most informative, creative and enjoyable event I have ever attended.”

Steve Simpson – Harringey Youth Offending Service       

“The course was both inspiring and an eye-opener. Working with other professionals gave us a rare insight into working in this field. I feel more confident and aware of the realities and opportunities available in working with challenging groups, or other groups of vulnerable young people.”

Rachel Headman – Outreach Manager, The Prince’s Trust

“Well worth the journey, a fantastic course. Meeting a brilliant group of people and building a pretty awesome network of contacts.”

Janet Campbell – Education Feltham Young Offenders Institute

“I got an in depth insight into the work of the drama facilitator in relation to the theatre work with awkward groups and a fantastic wealth of skills.” Mandy Harman – Multi-Arts practitioner, Harringey Youth Service

“A valuable opportunity to share practices and approach between arts and youth offending professionals.”

Homed Husain – Arts and Community Development Officer, London Borough of Merton

“It was a fantastic opportunity for me, as an arts coordinator, to reflect on how ‘I do’ workshops with awkward groups and individuals – a rare and valuable chance to explore and discuss the dynamics of working with young people and the arts. Go!”

Tricia Fairey – Senior Team Leader Crisis 

“This training was well focused throughout each day. Tony brings something fresh and unique to the course.  Working with him created a powerful experience and allowed me to refine many ideas for dealing with resistance in the future.  The training was well thought out, comprehensive and A LOT OF FUN!”

John Ephelin – Musician, Barrier Breakers 

“The course was engaging, informative and has motivated me to want to deal with resistance and awkward groups in more confident ways.  Tony was approachable and inspiring.  

To book this forth coming training workshop register here: http://bit.ly/3Oq5a6l

The Mechanics & Science of Games
Exercises for difficult groups & individuals

This exhaustive hot-peppered intensive  workshop uses harmonizing techniques for teachers, facilitators and others who work with groups that might be labelled as awkward, resistant, rebellious and problematic.

The techniques are both fun to play and engaging. They hook in participants using activities that are exciting and challenging.

How do you use social learning, cognitive and behavioral theories in active exercises that provide engaging, challenging and memorable experiences for difficult groups and individuals?

What kinds of games and exercises can illicit skills, tactics and approaches to identify new ways of dealing with old problems and helps people ‘see the point’ of an exercise?

To book this forthcoming training workshop register here: http://bit.ly/3Oq5a6l

The MECHANICS and SCIENCE of DRAMATIC IMPROVISATION – how and why it matters.

A guide to the essentials of getting people to improvise creatively and without stress, working from games through to impro and beyond.

This improvisation workshop is for improvisers and non-improvisers who are interested in developing, maintaining and extending their skills around some of the essential grammar of dramatic improvisation in long form. The methods will be a mixture of games, exercises, and structured improvisations.

The focus for the workshop will be Ensemble and Narrative Skills with particular reference to two of the fundamental basic grammar or aptitudes within improvisation practice identified as:

Tension

How it makes us look at something on stage, there are only two reasons why an audience would look at something, one is they want to know what happens next and the other is they want to know the truth of what is going on. Those are two reasons I can think of in why anyone would watch anything!! If one or two of these ideas are not catching the audience they won’t really want to watch. It about know how to play a scene in which the audience will continue to watch.

Progression

(Man comes into the door with gun!) if they just stand there and do nothing, then nothing happens, then the tension dissipates and disappears. There has to be progression and dramatic tension working together. something has to happen, the man has to take someone hostage or the group of people he has accosted have to come round to his side in order to create a story or a narrative progression, that keeps one or two of these ideas alive, e.g. One is they want to know what happens next and the other is they want to know the truth of what is going on/what they seeing. In order to do long form improvisation you have to solve the problem of progression, if you don’t then it’s just something is happening that is short that is going on for a very long time.

We will also touch on how we create action, use attitude to our advantage and play with the concept of the ‘shift’.

Performers need to learn that when something happens in a scene, we the audience are interested in the impact of that thing happening on the other characters and often improvisers don’t clock that so they don’t react, they don’t allow themselves to be moved or changed by the thing that has happened and that’s why this thing of shifting and being changed is so important and crucial point of learning and such a problematic one, and is problematised in part by sketch comedy, often a lot of sketch comedy relies on people not being changed or moved by anything/someone, and that is essentially funny.

The aim is to use improvisation in order to discover through spontaneity a different kind of insight into social conflicts for drama in theatre. This workshop will be a great opportunity to be different, expect a range of games and exercises to extend your knowledge of what is possible in improvisation, and what you are capable of creating. We will be exploring dramatically what decisions made by you as a improviser heightens or lessens situations and stories that intrigue the audience.

Deep Democracy

Picture a community in which uprisings break out in your neighborhood and the council consult and call in a theatre company to bring calm to the disorder. This workshop is training for that community. Visualize a different sort of improvised theatre that is about using collaboration and conflict to awaken its citizens into deeper democracy of social action. 

This workshop uses creative processes to explore how theatre can engage with the world, can get political without being political theatre because in this workshop no one viewpoint is championed but rather all voices are valued.

The aim of this workshop is to help us wake up to the stories and processes that are alive within us, within our homes and communities, so that we can consciously support their unfolding and engage in a vivid and dynamic conversation with every aspect of our work.

This workshop is for people who dare to dream, for people who dare to change the world—and who know that their dreams can come true. Its open to anyone and everyone who has the imagination and passion for reinventing our world; rabble-rousers, insurrectionists, agitators, revolutionists and rabid dreamers.

If you want to use Theater in political, cultural, social or creative work this workshop will offer a good introduction to the techniques and methodology of group processes.

Sociodrama Workshop London

Education 4 Liberation WORKSHOP

I have developed a series of popular education techniques for exploring experiences of Oppression. This intensive hands-on one-day workshop uses complementary approaches based on concepts of the organizing practices of Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed.

This workshop will be of particular relevance for educationalists, therapists and arts practitioners. We will actively explore how to use Augusto Boal’s techniques to empower ourselves or others who are marginalised in society.

INVISIBLE THEATRE WORKSHOP

An intensive fun-packed charged weekend workshop suited to people who want skills experience & knowledge in creating issue-based scenes that are performed in public without the public knowing the scenes have been staged.

Come and lose yourself within the mysteries of invisible theatre and learn techniques of the Theatre of the Oppressed and those pioneered by Augusto Boal, Keith Johnston, Clive Barker and many others. Invisible Theatre Workshop in association with Global Skills XChange

A workshop to explore this secret theatre technique aimed at provoking social debate on current issues.

The purpose of invisible theatre is to make a point publicly or gain a sense of what the reaction may be to your story.Games and exercises will lead you to a solid understanding of the process and possibly a showing (although this is unconfirmed as the ‘performing’ must be invisible!)

For further information go to: https://www.skillsdmo.com/