Theatre of the Oppressed // Gender

“Being queer means embracing a free and open-ended identity by casting off all other identities that categorize us, and defining ourselves simply as human beings.”

– Nadia Cho

“We must all do theatre – to find out who we are, and to discover who we could become.”

– Augusto Boal

Using games, play and dialogue techniques from Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, for 1-day we will co-create and experiment together to explore what what we have experienced, how we are now, and what we could be in the future, through an embodied discussion of power and oppression as relates to the themes of GENDER and QUEERNESS.

This is a trans-positive, queer friendly space for all people who wish to explore, experience and learn more together.

We will be sharing tools and techniques learned from Sanjoy Ganguly of the world famous Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed and incorporating elements of the Aesthetics of the Oppressed.

All are welcome to join us in this interactive and engaged discussion with the intention of unleashing the radical potential of gender and queerness.

“Being queer means ceasing to think in binaries like “male” or “female,” “gay” or “straight,” “monogamous” or “non-monogamous,” because there are more than two sides to every person and every context. It means being aware of and OK with the fact that our own identities and sexualities are always in flux, never static. Being queer means recognizing that there are alternate gender identities, such as transgender or genderqueer or androgynous folks, and respecting that these identities are just as legitimate as those that are visible.”

9:30am-6pm
Rainbow Junk-tion Cafe, All Hallows Church
24 Regent Terrace, Leeds LS6 1NP

Payment is by the solidarity economy:
High waged: £60-40
Med waged: £40-20
Lo/no waged: £20-10

To reserve your place or for more information please email to george@reboottheroots.org.uk expressing interest, and we will email you back with application details.

Sponsored places available, no-one refused for lack of funds. Please contact for more info.
Limited spaces available.

About Theatre of the Oppressed

Theatre of the Oppressed is a range of techniques, games and exercises, using embodied narrative to support the empowerment and liberation of individuals and their communities. The approach was developed by Augusto Boal in South America, and has since been used all over the world in the building of community, to dynamize social engagement, and to support individuals to realise their creative potential for personal and social transformation.

“Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it.” – Augusto Boal, Games For Actors & Non-Actors

In essence, it utilises theatre in order to generate solutions to real problems, create dialogue where before there was only monologue, and ultimately “humanise humanity” by enabling people to develop the skills and faculties to liberate themselves and others. It creates space for a rehearsal for life. It is a way of analysing the power dynamics of our society and our personal relationships, purporting that personal problems are social problems.
The training will introduce key principles of Boal’s work, laying the foundation for future exploration.

The Facilitators

George Wielgus (Reboot the Roots) is a practitioner of the Theatre of the Oppressed, writer, performance poet and natural farmer who has travelled extensively across Europe and Asia working with socially excluded groups ranging from the homeless in London, subsistence farmers in India, survivors of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, to heroin addicts and street kids in Kuala Lumpur. They have a decade of experience as a facilitator and educator in fields ranging from TESOL and dramatherapy to drug rehabilitation and conflict resolution. They qualified in they Certificate in Joker Training and Certificate in Rainbow of Desire in 2010 and attended the Muktadhara festival in India in 2018. They identify as nonbinary.

About Reboot The Roots

Reboot the Roots is a charity that promotes social inclusion through the arts. It uses theatre, music and workshops to support people who are denied their rights to full, happy and active participation in society. This includes those recovering from addiction, people living with HIV/AIDS and individuals who have been in conflict with the law.

They facilitate workshops with the socially excluded, train trainers from other organisations and NGOs in techniques of art for inclusion, and help other practitioners to achieve their goals through logistical support, consultation and funding. They believe that creative tools for social transformation can enable people to participate fully and equally in society.

“The basic aim of the Theatre of the Oppressed is to humanize Humanity”

– Augusto Boal, the Declaration of the Principles of the Theatre of the Oppressed

www.reboottheroots.org.uk