An inclusive process of artistic expression for young people
An extra-curricular interclass workshop project, existing for several years and part of Mirmica's projects since 2019. A space of freedom, expression, inclusion, generative of a participatory artistic process that allows the voice of the children to resonate within the school community and in the territory.
The theatre project was born in 2012, led by Carola Maternini. The group began a journey aimed at creating moments of interclass integration and with the school community, in order to enhance the expressive and relational specificities of the young people, investigate youthful issues dear to them, and explore texts and performance languages.In the 2018-2019 school year, the students participating in the workshop reached 57. In order to support the work with these large numbers, the same year the association Mirmica became involved in running the workshop, flanking Carola Maternini with the operator Viola Ghidelli. The group also began experimenting with the creation of original dramaturgies, creating shows that intertwine texts written by the children with the classics, mythology, plays and other works from the 20th century. The use of the video tool is a constant component of the work, allowing the students to confront themselves with multiple and complex expressive languages.
The participative work dimension in this project is particularly significant. Despite all the difficulties of managing a course with almost 60 students, characteristic of this group is the desire to maintain an inclusive and horizontal thrust in all types of processes: relational, decision-making, expressive and creative. The project often sees former students from the same school, or from other school workshops, taking part in training courses in social theatre and audio-visual documentation.
During the period of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, the course continued online to support resilience processes and conclude the course by making 4 videos as an end-of-year project. In 2022, the project resumed in presence with the participation of 34 students.