Starting Date: 05-22-2008
Ending Date: 05-25-2008
University Of Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska 68101
United StatesWHAT IS CHANGE?
WHAT IS SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE?
AND HOW?
These questions are the theme for the 2008 Conference for the following reasons:
(1) 2008 is a year that likely will mark some major changes for PTO. Augusto Boal has attended twelve of our fourteen gatherings, beginning in 1995. Now Augusto sees himself cutting back or even eliminating his international travel. Thus, 2008 may well mark Augusto's last visit to PTO or even to the US. His son, Julian, will likely be more involved with PTO in the future.
(2) After fourteen years of service, two of PTO founding members -- Doug Paterson and Carol Lloyd -- are in the process of reducing their time and organizational commitment to PTO. PTO, in turn, is in serious and wonderful dialogues with educators, artists, and activists in the Twin Cities -- Minneapolis and St. Paul -- about the possibility of moving our base - meaning our incorporation and our official mailing address - to that area.
(3) Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Theatre of the Oppressed have been from the start part of a global movement advocating social change and social justice. But there is change, and there is substantial change. Buddhism suggests each moment of the life of the universe constitutes total change. Biologists see the cell/blood exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide as change. Countless social actions involve what might be called substantial change: Teachers who adopt the techniques of Paulo Freire. A TO Joker who encourages the spect-actor to change a Forum scene. Powerful lying their way into war. Paulo Freire publishing Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Progressive governments entering the world stage? Augusto Boal kidnapped and sent to prison, then publishing his Theatre of the Oppressed. Climate change. PTO adding "revolution" to its traditional efforts at "progressive social change." Change of PTO location and leadership. An even more segregated US from 1960 to 2007. The 2008 US elections ?
Perhaps above all is the question, "How?" How do we continue to understand change, analyze it, invite it, make it?
PRE-CONFERENCE BOAL WORKSHOPS
Theatre of the Oppressed: Legislative Theatre Workshops with Augusto and Julian Boal: May 19th - 21st, 2008. Public Performance of Legislative Theatre in the Omaha City Council Chambers on the evening of May 22nd, 2008, the opening night of the
Conference.
Theatre of the Oppressed: The Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop with Augusto and Julian Boal: May 22nd, 2008
POST-CONFERENCE BOAL WORKSHOP
Theatre of the Oppressed: Rainbow-into-Forum Workshops with Augusto and Julian Boal: May 25th - 27th, 2008
DR. AUGUSTO BOAL, internationally renowned theatre artist and activist, returns to provide Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) workshops prior to and after our conference. For the first time in many years, Augusto will attend the entire PTO Conference. He continues to share and develop TO around the world.
JULIAN BOAL, son of Augusto and a leader in developing TO in Paris while networking TO world-wide, will join us for the fourth time, assisting Augusto in leading workshops. Julian has attended the last three PTO Conferences and works with North African immigrants in Paris as one of the focuses of hiswork -work.
DR. DONALDO MACEDO is the Applied Linguistics Graduate Program Director and teaches the core linguistics courses, including Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, and Linguistics and Contrastive Analysis at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. His primary areas of interest include second language acquisition, Pidgins and Creoles and critical literacy. He has for his entire academic career focused intensely on the theory and practice of Paulo Freire.
DR. SONIA NIETO is Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture, School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Nieto's scholarly work has focused on multicultural and bilingual education, curriculum reform, teacher education, Puerto Rican children's literature, and the education of Latinos, immigrants, and other culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. She has written numerous book chapters and articles on these themes, and her articles have appeared numerous journals. She has completed a new book titled DEAR PAULO -- a collection of letters from teachers to Freire, which may be out by conference time.Geographical Scope: National Conference |
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