WOMEN interACT

Grant Agreement: 101174087 — WOMEN interACT

Funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe program

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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🔴 WOMEN interACT

Participatory theatre as a tool against the double exclusion of women

🔺 Using theatre as a medium for social change, we aim to cultivate a creative dialogue and work with socially marginalized women, not only due to their gender but also other factors such as health, age, social status, sexual orientation, experience, and profession. Open calls for participation will be made from June 2025 onward for women who wish to participate.

➤ The outcome of this project will include three artistic premieres in the three participating countries, created with the women who will be taking part in the specialized workshops we will be organizing. These workshops will capture their experiences, which will then be shared with the theatre audiences.

➤Additionally, a handbook/guide of best practices in participatory theatre and our unique work with women from marginalized backgrounds will be produced. This guide will then be available for use by other organizations or theatre companies working in or wishing to start working in this field.

➤Each stage of our work in the three countries will be observed, analyzed, and documented by researchers from the SWPS University of Social and Humanities Sciences from Poland, examining the topic of participation and contributing the outcome of their research in the final handbook.

Our project has been designed as a platform for exchange between three European theatre organizations which use art as a tool for social inclusion and gender equality. All three organizations are run by women and place gender issues in the centre of their interests and activities: STOWARZYSZENIE KOLEKTYW KOBIETOSTAN (Poland), Drustvo ZIZ Slovenia and Restart Theater Athens (Greece).

All three of our organizations are run by women and place gender issues in the centre of our interests and activities. The theatrical tools we use in our work with local communities, in order to raise awareness and fight gender exclusion are very different but all of us strive to build safe spaces for the participants, strengthen communities, and create art with and for the people.

In the frame of this project we will grow by learning from one another, while tackling the subject we all feel strongly about: the double exclusion of women.

Moments from our kick off meeting in Wroclaw in Poland, January 2025

The WOMEN interACT Theater Camp was a 10-day, research-based participatory arts initiative focused on exploring and exchanging theatrical methodologies aimed at combating the double exclusion experienced by marginalized women. The camp was hosted in Candia, a small village near Nafplion, Greece, in alignment with the project's values of decentralization, accessibility, and engagement with underrepresented communities.

By collaborating with the Cultural Association of Candia and the Municipality of Nafplion, the CAMP ensured both meaningful local interaction and wide regional dissemination through cultural institutions, educational bodies, and media in the Prefecture of Argolis.

The choice of Candia, a location at the "periphery of the periphery," emphasized inclusivity and the value of local engagement. The rural setting allowed for focused collaboration while introducing the local population to international contemporary theatre practices. The community expressed pride in hosting such a project, reinforcing the importance of cultural decentralization.

As a gesture of gratitude to the host community, Restart Theater Athens presented a free performance of “LYSISTRATA: No More Blood” on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at Candia Primary School, attended by local residents, students, and invited artists. On Friday, May 30, Restart Theater also conducted a 3-hour open workshop for 11 students from the Public Acting School I.E.K. Nafplion, introducing them to the participatory tools used during the camp—an initiative met with great enthusiasm.

CAMP STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES

WEEK ONE: 20–24 May 2025

Exchange of Methods and Tools Between Core Partners

This phase focused on in-depth sharing of methodologies employed by each partner organization when working with socially excluded groups. These daily sessions clarified core tools and practices and initiated the creation of a shared workbook—the final deliverable of the WOMEN interACT project. Week One also led to planning of workshop structures for Week Two and allowed the project team to agree on the upcoming “twinning” phase.

Lead Artists – Week One:

Restart Theater Athens (Greece):

• Angeliki Kasola – Director / Facilitator

• Eirini Mela – Actress / Facilitator

Kobietostan (Poland):

• Agnieszka Bresler – Director / Actress

• Iwona Konecka – Director / Performer

ZIZ Association (Slovenia):

• Barbara Polajnar – Performer / Producer / Pedagogue

• Anja Bezlova Zavrsnik – Performer / Pedagogue

Documentation:

• Joanna Kondak (Kobietostan) – Note-taking and session recording

The sessions successfully enriched the creative vocabulary of all partners and illuminated both shared approaches and distinctive methods used in each national context.

WEEK TWO: 25–29 May 2025

Open Workshops and Presentations for Invited Artists and Theatre Participants

This phase expanded participation by welcoming seven guest artists and participants from the three partner countries to engage in open workshops, hands-on training, and artistic dialogue.

Invited Participants – Week Two:

Restart Theater Athens (Greece):

• Christina Korovilla – Actress / Performer

• Aimiliani Avraam – Theatrologist / Actress

• Anna Theochari – Theatre Studies Student, University of the Peloponnese

Kobietostan (Poland):

• Katarzyna Krajewska

• Oliwia Salamon

ZIZ Association (Slovenia):

• Ankica Radivojević

• Melani Kumin
  
  

Documentation:

• Diana Wolińska (Kobietostan) – Note-taking and session recording

WDAILY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday, 25 May 2025

• Welcome session at Candia House for partners and guests

• Evening performance of LYSISTRATA: No More Blood by Restart Theater Athens at Candia Primary School

• Official greetings by:

  • Mr. Ioannis Manolis – Vice Mayor of Cultural Affairs, Municipality of Nafplion

  • Ms. Efthymia Lalioti – President, Candia Cultural Educational Association

• Presentation of the WOMEN interACT project by director Angeliki Kasola

Monday, 26 May 2025

• Morning warm-up sessions (RTA, ZIZ, Kobietostan)

• Afternoon workshop (Kobietostan)

• Evening screening and discussion: Womanstate. Chorus for One Actress (Kobietostan)

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

• Morning workshop: Restart Theater Athens

• Afternoon workshop: ZIZ Association

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

• Morning workshop: Kobietostan

• Afternoon workshop: Restart Theater Athens

Thursday, 29 May 2025

• Morning workshop: ZIZ Association

• Afternoon session coordinated by Kobietostan – final reflections, feedback, evaluation, and Q&A

• Evening:

  • Performance by ZIZ: Cabaret (excerpts)

  • Open mic session with participant contributions

  • Informal camp closing celebration

Friday, 30 May 2025

• Gradual departures

• 17:00–20:00: Open Workshop by Restart Theater Athens

  • Venue: Candia Primary School

  • Participants: 11 students from Public Acting School I.E.K. Nafplion