PTO 2010 Conference
The 16th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference
"Flex and Flexibility:
When to bend? When to stretch? When to engage?"
Austin, Texas, June 3-6, 2010
(With pre-conference workshops beginning June 1st and post-conference workshops concluding June 8th; see below for workshop details.)
Hosted by The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin, with co-sponsorship from the university's Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS)
Conference Location
The Winship Drama Building, on the northwest corner of 23rd Street and San Jacinto Boulevard, on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
Special Conference Guests (see bios below)
- Julian Boal (pre-workshop and post-workshop facilitator and opening ceremony joker)
- Dolores Huerta (keynote speaker)
- Bárbara Santos (post-workshop, keynote speaker)
Workshops
Forum Theatre and Jokering with Julian Boal
Pre-Conference Workshop (3 days)
Workshop Description: Participants will gain experience with a variety of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques in the process of developing Forum Theatre plays. Part of the third day will also be spent practicing some beginning skills for jokering Forum Theatre.
When: Tuesday, June 1
Wednesday, June 2
Thursday, June 3
1 pm - 6 pm each day.
Cost: $300 US per person
(Please note: Workshop members from "Forum Theatre and Jokering" will also participate in a Forum Theatre presentation at the opening ceremonies of the conference on Thursday evening, June 3.)
Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed with Julian Boal
Post-Conference Workshop (1 day)
Workshop Description: Participants will be introduced to techniques from the arsenal of Theatre of the Oppressed through hands-on experience.
When: Sunday, June 6 (2 pm to 7 pm)
Cost: $100 US per person
Rainbow of Desire with Bárbara Santos
Post-Conference Workshop (3 days)
Workshop Description: In this three-day workshop, participants will learn and practice some of the techniques of the Rainbow of Desire branch of the Tree of Theatre of the Oppressed.
When: Sunday, June 6 (Workshop begins after the closing of the conference.)
Monday, June 7
Tuesday, June 8
2 pm - 7 pm each day.
Cost: $300 US per person.
Note: If you plan to take the workshop with Ms. Santos, please email kellybhowe@yahoo.com as soon as possible to let her know, even if you are not able to register and pay immediately. While that email will not be able to count as your registration or hold your spot (only formal registration will do so), it will help Kelly Howe with important workshop planning.
Special Guest Biographies
(in alphabetical order)
Julian Boal
Julian Boal is a freelance workshop leader. He has facilitated workshops, either alone or in collaboration with Augusto Boal, in Brazil, France, India, Switzerland, Bosnia, Italy, Spain, and the United States. He is the translator of The Rainbow of Desire in French, and the coordinator of the new French edition of Games for Actors and Non-Actors. He is also the author of Images of a Popular Theatre. Julian is the artistic director of the Groupe du Théâtre de l'Opprimé in Paris and is one of the driving forces behind the International Theatre of the Oppressed Organization. He has also done a considerable amount of work in India with the famed theater company Jana Sanskriti, and was the initiator of that troupe's annual tours to Europe.
Dolores Huerta
President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. She continues working to develop community leaders, advocating for working poor, women and children. She travels daily speaking at universities and organizational forums on issues of social justice and public policy.
Ms. Huerta is also the Co-founder, Secretary Treasurer /1st Vice President Emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America; A Board Member of the Feminist Majority. Numerous awards received, among them: The Eleanor Roosevelt Humans Rights Award from President Clinton ‘88, Ms. Magazine's one of the three most important women of ‘97, Ladies Home Journal's 100 most important woman of the 20t Century, Puffin foundation award for Creative Citizenship Labor Leader Award 1984, Kern County's woman of the year by California State legislature, the Ohtli award from the Mexican Government, Smithsonian Institution - James Smithson Award, and Eleven Honorary Doctrines from Universities through out the United States. Community Organizer/Activist for over 50 years.
Please note that, in the event of an urgent last-minute legislative event at which Ms. Huerta is needed, Ms. Huerta may cancel her conference appearance. This would be true of any appearance by Ms. Huerta, due to her commitment to urgently needed legislative change.
Bárbara Santos
Bárbara Santos is an extremely accomplished joker based at the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed (CTO) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She has worked in diverse contexts around the world. We are very grateful that she can join us at this year's conference, both as a keynote speaker and to offer her Rainbow of Desire workshop! Due to technical difficulties, a longer bio and a photo will follow from Bárbara Santos shortly.
Important Information
Info About Youth Conference Registration
PTO is always excited to have youth (in this case defined as anyone under 18 years of age) register to join us at the conference! If you are under 18 years of age and coming to the conference or you are bringing someone under 18 years of age to the conference, please contact Kelly Howe at kellybhowe@yahoo.com, to request the short liability waiver that all youth must have signed by their legal guardian or parent in order to attend.
Info About Translation Availability
The PTO Austin 2010 committee is interested in matching up volunteer translators with conference participants who might benefit from having some of the conference activities translated from English into another language. The conference committee CANNOT guarantee that all requests for translators will be fulfilled, but if you wish to inquire about the possibility of a translator, please email ptoaustin2010@gmail.com after registering. Please include your name, your phone number, your email address, and the language into which you might wish to have some of the conference activities translated. The PTO Austin 2010 Committee will explore possible ways to secure a volunteer translator to accompany you to at least a few conference sessions.
Info about Services for Attendees with Disabilities, Specific Mobility Needs, and/or Other Accessibility Questions and Concerns
Please email 2010 Accessibility Committee Co-Chair Talleri McRae at tallerimcrae@hotmail.com to specify any requests related to disabilities, mobility needs, or other accessibility questions and concerns. Please be sure to provide your name, the relevant details of your request, and your email and a phone number (in case we have any follow-up questions). While the PTO Austin 2010 Committee cannot promise that it will be able to address every request, we will do all that we can to make the conference as accessible and dynamic an experience as possible for everyone who joins us there. Please be advised that your requests will be most effectively addressed if you notify us of them as soon as possible. We especially discourage persons with such requests from waiting until they arrive on-site to register for the conference; last-minute requests may be difficult for the PTO Conference Committee to address, and we want you to get the most out of the conference!
Info about Dietary Requests
Please email 2010 Food Committee Co-Chair Nicole Gurgel at ngurgel@mail.utexas.edu to specify any dietary requests related to the two lunches covered by the conference registration fee (the lunches for Friday, June 4th, and Saturday, June 5th), whether those requests relate to vegetarian or vegan diets or other needs or restrictions. Be sure to provide your name, the relevant details of your request, and (in case we have any follow-up questions) your email and a phone number. While the PTO Austin 2010 Committee cannot promise that it will be able to honor every food-related request, we will make great efforts to respond to as many requests as possible.