“COFFEE FLOWERS” AND THE THEATER OF THE OPPRESSED
Last Saturday, February 23rd, the ICBIE hosted the second workshop of the Theater of the Oppressed, offered free of cost to the Ribeira community by the theater and social action company, “I Fiori di Caffè” (Coffee Flowers).
The “Fiori di Caffé” (http://fioridicaffe.com/) are two young Italians, Elena and Michele, who, through the theater of the oppressed, corporal expression and a lot of passion for their work, carry out educational and social actions around the world. The contact with Elena and Michiele was born though our friend and collaborator, the Italian ballerina Marcella Bomba, who, for years, has conducted the Pilates activity of dance-therapy and education in the community of Diogo, on the north coast of Bahia, where she has created a space of Art, Culture and Well-Being – “Alberi in rete” (Network Trees) (https://www.facebook.com/pg/Arvores-em-Rede).
The theater of the oppressed workshop at the ICBIE was greatly appreciated by the youth of our association and has created an interesting debate and exchange of opinions regarding many important current themes in our society. Without doubt the words of one of the participants does a better job of describing the activities and the results of the experience: “My name is Talita Melo, I’m 21 and I study arts. I participated in the two encounters of the Theater of the Oppressed with the company “I Fiori di Caffé”. For me, it was a marvellous experience. The methodology used by the group helped me to discover perceptions and abilities that I didn’t know I had, integrating my vision of myself in the context of individual and group performance. I was challenged to act, think and create regarding discussions and situations that we are not usually called upon to consider in our direct experience, and, as a result, I was able to realize the importance of reflection and dialog about our normal existence, that which surrounds us every day. I am grateful to have lived these moments that have certainly changed and enriched my perspective in relation to the life around me and within me.”
