Emergency PT Europa with Jonathon Fox in Hungary 14 – 17 September 2007
Report by Brian Tasker
In late summer, over a long weekend, representatives from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Serbia, the UK and the USA gathered to meet with Jonathon Fox for a workshop on using playback theatre in response to civil and natural emergencies. The meeting took place at the delightful Biofalu Ecovillage Centre in Mariahalom about an hour south of Budapest hosted by an equally delightful group of Hungarians including Jozsef Paradi and Aniko Kaposvari who organised the event. The impetus for the workshop had been the PT response to the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in New Orleans in 2005. This resulted in the formation of the NOLA Playback Theatre Company to provide a forum for those stories to be told. We were very fortunate to have a member of NOLA PT present, Enchante Franklin, who lives in New Orleans and shared some of her experiences of that time with us.
What was intriguing was Jonathon’s approach to the workshop as being one of an evolving understanding between us all, which emphasised the collaborative rather than the purely didactic. The result being one of caution and a developing understanding, in order to consider how to provide playback theatre safely and ethically in difficult and challenging situations. Crucially, Jonathon shared some of the learning from the PT response to Hurricane Katrina with us.
Some of the artistic and ethical challenges that could be expected include:
An outpouring of stories requiring courage and integrity to contain tellers and audience while being able to give the destructive force sufficient power for both teller and audience, in a way they can accept. The importance of not imposing a “happy ending” and the strong red thread that one story might be completed while others are likely to still be in process. The essential necessity was noted for playback companies to have space to tell their own stories (in rehearsal), both deepening the bond between members and creating the psychological and emotional space to receive the kind of stories that could be told.
The need for background information and cultural awareness was stressed and the importance of the audience being able to see themselves among the performers – always a challenge in multicultural societies and on other subtle levels too. The limits on connection with the audience should also be considered. The appropriate timing of any response is also a factor and it may be worth referring to some of the models of bereavement that can be found for guidance. (See references) It is later, when the initial reactions of shock and anger may have begun to subside, that the need to tell the stories and see them re-enacted may be best served.
The workshop concluded with an outline plan for future action including the establishment of a network for Emergency PT and the election of a committee to organise and ‘hold’ the concept as a reference point. In the meantime, a representative from each country present volunteered to be the initial contact person in their areas, so that action can be co-ordinated and cross-referenced and a resource base can be built.
If you are interested in Emergency PT and would like to be kept informed of developments, please contact one of the people listed above or the Centre for Playback Theatre. You may also wish to become part of the network and volunteer to be the initial contact person in areas not listed above – please contact the Centre for Playback Theatre.
The following may be helpful when considering a response to an emergency: