About the author
Teatro Umano- Cultural Association Theater
Theatre Umano (TU) is a non-profit association founded in 2005. Its main objective is the integrated development of the community (in its many forms) through Art.
The TU interactive intervention draws, develops, performs, evaluates and trains through a unique approach. The Teatro Umano methodology initiates and implements projects of community art and social theater. These are applied through participatory cultural mediation through social innovation, project work pedagogy, creativity applied to social development, empowerment, social drama, participatory theater, community development methods, creative activators and participatory conflict resolution.
Teatro Umano collaborates in teams and projects are designed together with the interested stakeholders, depending on the specific local challenges. It facilitates access to culture for the most disadvantaged groups in the community, celebrating individual and collective identities, memories and experiences. All contributions are valued equally.
The concepts of art and participation diffuse the sense of belonging and social identity. This shared intervention by Teatro Umano enhances mutual understanding through democratization of languages, arts and creativity and empowering and generating processes of change. Our instruments give a voice to the aspirations of the participants. One key objective is the active and participatory citizenship in light of a dynamic and provocative vision of the community.
Our vision in Teatro Umano is that learning and the dissemination of knowledge and skills in social theater presents a unique pedagogical and therapeutic opportunity to support efforts to combat key barriers and challenges facing society today including violence, isolation, unemployment, intercultural frictions, drugs, gender biases, insecurity, personal safety, alcoholism, environmental social injustice and marginalization.
We have worked in diverse areas from catalyzing public health projects, engaging the public in scientific education and inspiring private sector professionals. Some of the programs include:
"Program to Promote Health Education (PPES)” (2005-2008), training nurses and other health practitioners in specific skills and social psychodrama theater
"Brigades University Intervention in Public Health” (2005- 2006) in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, designed for the 4th academic year students, using social theater as a tool to promote treatment policy in the elderly population.
"Inter-Aid Project", GlocalForum-150 City network design and of the Council keys, as a partner in a pilot project for the Ministry of Health Operational program.(2005-2008)
“Program XXI-Feder Health and ESF” (2006-2008), health care staff training methodologies and integrated theatrical release in the community, urban and rural elderly population facing social problems and isolation.
"Safety Net" European Union POPH project” (2012-2013), partnered with the Chamber of Cascais
"Empowerment Center 2.0" (2011-2013), with Cedro Association and CIG (Committee for Citizenship and Gender Equality POPH 7.3 ), artistic partner, training and operational in 18 councils in 60 Nursing Homes and care units (public and private)
Multiple Public Schools projects to prevention and good practice in the areas of intercultural violence and intergerational, sexual, dating, bullying and family
"Maps to Groth" (2013 to 2015), in day centers in Lisbon, both NGOs and public agencies offering packages workshops and small performances with elderly people with the main theme of death and isolation in urban areas
Teatro Umano’s also worlks and collaborates internationally, through partnerships in Brazil and Spain as well as with the International Community Theatre, Citizenship and Cultural Diversity.
International Art RIAS-Network and Health in Galicia Spain (2014-2015)
EDUCREARTE-IACAT-CI-Creativity and Innovation (2009-2015), Prof. coordinator Doctor David De Prado Diez. Colombia Iberian-American Network, coordinator for Carmen de Viboral, the Secretary of the Department Colombia Culture.
Teatro Umano’s projects bring people together. Where once societies were promoting the arts, the arts today are promoting society. We consider the arts to go well beyond the simple pleasure. Arts provide a unique platform with a distinct social responsibility and opportunity to merge rationality with emotions, imagination and reality, mind and body and the public and private. Teatro Umano uses this platform to enable disciplines and societal interventions to play and for the “old” to meet and interact with the “new”.
Teatro Umano is a research lab for humanity with individual and community wellbeing and resilience as its objective and inspiration and innovative experimentation with societal intervention as its driving force.
Our team at Teatro Umano
Rita Wengorovius, Coordinator of Artistic and Community Projects Theatre Umano. PhD in social theater and community in Università of Milano, Italy. M.A. degree in "Teatro Sociale di Comunita and" the Università di Torino, Italy. M.A. in "Applied Creativity" at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Lecturer of the M.A. course "Theatre and community" in ESTC School of Theatre and Cinema in Lisbon.
José Reis, cultural mediator; Helena Tapadinhas, Playwright; Master Margarida , voice; Pedro Augustus dance movement; António Vicente, Andrea Valente, Rita Omer, José Garcia, Frances D'Orey, artists-educators in Theatre and Community; Nuno Falisses, Pedro Nunes, Inês Rosa, Musicians; Pedro Vieira, Miguel Torres, Carolina Corvelo, video and multimedia; Marta Wengorovius, Ana Paula Rocha; scenic space, facilities; Ruth Calvão, program advisor, creative and director of special projects. Tzruya Chebach and Amit Ashkenazy from Sustainability Foresight, environmentally minded volunteers.
Contact Us @ Teatro Umano
(+351) 96 9920563; (+351) 213951840
email: teatroumano@hotmail.com
