Theatre with Communities
Since 2006, Zoukak has led a wide number of psychosocial interventions based on its drama therapy approach, targeting various groups of populations in marginalized contexts such as:
- Women, youths and children subject to domestic violence
- Incarcerated youths and shelters residents
- Children and youths with multiple disabilities
- Foreign domestic workers
- Migrants and refugees
- Populations affected by wars and conflicts
These interventions relied on collaborations with local and international organizations.
Zoukak’s psychosocial strategy, methodology and tools were developed in response to the needs of the communities targeted by these interventions.
Some previous workshops
May June 2016
An intensive workshop with refugees and migrants in Serbia that led to a public performance inspired by the Epic of Gilgamesh and the correlation between the journey of Gilgamesh and the contemporary migrants: a quest for the immortal life, a quest for a life of dignity, crossing the river of death, crossing the sea of death.
December 2015
10-day intensive workshop that led to a night of performances during the new year’s evening. The performances were punctuated with hourly celebrations of “midnight” following the sun in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Eritrea, Somalia etc.
2014
2015
2 Theatre For Development workshops (of 18 sessions each – 72h in total each) with young Palestinian and Syrian refugees, residing in Lebanon, that led to 2 plays performed in theatres in Beirut and open to the public.
FebruaryMarch 2013
A training of 30 Syrian activity leaders in artistic mediation techniques, that led to ten one-day events in ten different schools and locations on the Lebanese-Syrian borders and involved around 1500 Syrian children and youths, within the project “Kebayet – Wadi Khaled, Lebanon”.
20122013
A Drama therapy workshop of 18 sessions (72h in total) with 12 women, subjected to domestic violence that concluded with a public performance presented by the participants in Sunflower Theatre in Beirut.
July 2012
Psychosocial intervention with 18 domestic workers from Nepal aiming at empowering them as community leaders. The workshop contributed to the creation of the current Nepali community group “NARI”.
20072012
30 drama therapy workshops of 12 session (48h per workshop), with more than 300 incarcerated youths in Roumieh jail, Lebanon, which concluded with 10 performances, based on the participants’ personal experiences and presented in front of a selected audience in Roumieh jail.
JulyOctober 2010
A Drama-Therapy workshop of 12 sessions (48h hours in total) with 20 Iraqi refugees, concluding with 2 public performances at Sunflower Theatre, Beirut.
November 2008May 2009
Training in psychosocial artistic mediation techniques for 30 educators from 10 centers for people with special needs across Lebanon, within the project: “Innovative Awareness Techniques for the acceptance of difference” aiming at promoting the acceptance of vulnerable groups of children and youths in Lebanon.
MarchOctober 2008
2 trainings in psychosocial artistic mediation techniques of 40 directors and activity leaders of youth centers in Palestinian camps across Lebanon (7 sessions of 42 hours per workshop); within Handicap International’s project entitled: “Psychological support for Palestinians refugees in Lebanon”.
20072008
10 psychosocial interventions of one-day events with more than 2500 children in the South of Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, following the July 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon.
2007
10 psychosocial interventions of one-day events based on story-telling, with more than 500 displaced children in Beddawi Camp after the Bared war that took place in Bared Camp. The outcome of these interventions was concretized with the publication of 20 illustrated collective stories.