Hestia-Belonging Through Community Theatre
Project Timeline:
10th June - 10th July 2021: Study Visit at Pirineus Creatius, Spain
4th October - 4th November : Study Visit at Creative Youthland, Greece
15th November - 12th November : Study Visit at Crooked House Theatre, Ireland
17th- 23rd April : Hestia Training Course in Greece
12th-19th July: Hestia Youth Exchange in Spain
21st - 23rd November : Partners final monitoring meeting and closing event at Crooked House, Ireland
Project Updates:
Study Visits:
During the period July - October 2021 three study visits took place in each project partner country .
10th June - 10th July 2021 | Spain | Pirineus Creatius
During the study visit in Spain we both shadowed and participated in the activities and events Pirineus Creatius run within their local community. Pirineus Creatius specializes in community based arts projects and is working with a wide range of groups including youth organisations, and mental health services for adults. We witnessed the strong connections and relationships they have built through their ongoing activity and how the quality of their work is driven by those two elements. We shadowed the development and preparation of a community arts festival which took place from 26th- 4th July. During these days we participated in many outdoor workshops such as clowns and music making, and we even engaged with the locals in a lunch picnic!
The highlight and closing event of the festival was an outdoor walking performance in the woods. The performance was about the history of that specific area and how it has been a meeting point for the locals from the surrounding villages, where a traditional music festival has been hosted every year. We heard local stories, traditional songs and we danced all together. At the end of the performance there was an outdoor dinner organised in collaboration with the local cultural centre and it was the best opportunity to meet with everyone who attended and experience first hand how these type of events can create connections and nurture this sense of belonging we are in search through our Hestia project.
Few days before our departure we had an interview session at the local radio station. Dasha (Pirineus Creatius) shared updates about the activities and events of festival, while Vasiliki (Crooked House) and Maria (Creative Youthland) talked about their experience during the study visit, the Hestia project how their work in their local communities is related to belonging and inclusion through theatre making . Next stop in this journey of study visits is Greece!