The “critique” workshop

Short Description

Critical Workshop in the Arts and Humanities Within critical workshops, participants learn how to use their experience and knowledge in order to change attitudes in the Arts and Humanities. This method is relevant to those in the fields of: Performing Arts, Literature, Languages, Linguistics, Philosophy, Visual Arts, Classical Studies, Music, Religious Studies, etc. The “critique" workshop is considered a platform to both encourage the attending of theatre performance and to support their reception and their understanding through specific training activities. This critique workshop represents a tool for a qualitative survey and, at the same time, the first level of a multi-annual audience building programme. Its purpose is to promote: a) an autonomous choice of theatrical activities by young potential spectators and (b) their conscious reflection on their tastes, desires and cultural needs. The critique workshop also aims to obtain from the young participants insights useful to the renewal of the theatrical offer.

The ‘critique’ workshop was attended by about 125 students from the schools involved in the work of the Pilot Observation-centre.

It was organized in 3-4 people groups. Students went through 64 hours of cultural activities from March to June 2016 under the supervision of university tutors. Each group was invited to autonomously plan an audience programme comprising at least four cultural and entertainment activities of their choice, one of which had to necessarily include a theatre show. Activities that could be chosen by students included, among others, playing video games, going to cinema, or attending sport events. As a result, young people were called to actively engage with cultural programmes and choose freely among different kind activities. The only requirements were: a) to document all the moments of their path, from their choices, to the actual consumption and evaluation of their cultural experiences; and b) to draft a full multimedia report describing the whole process. These reports were prepared during workshops supervised by university tutors and presented by the students during a two-day conference (June 28th-29th 2016) attended by the representatives of three important theatres of the city of Milan (i.e. Piccolo Teatro, Teatro i, Atir Teatro Ringhiera) together with the theatre partner of the project, ScenAperta Altomilanese teatri.

At the same time, we employed indirect strategies that oriented the participants toward the consumption of theatre: a) a survey on the role of theatre in the life of the participants was made explicit and discussed with the participants from the beginning of the activities; b) the university tutors offered a series of introductory presentations to facilitate their contact with theatre; and c) the university tutors discussed the current theatrical events with the participants in order to find a match for their interests.

Pedagogical Information

The "critique" workshop promoted a theatrical consumption by the young participants directly and indirectly. The participants had the task of carrying out at least four experiences of cultural consumption of their choice of which it was mandatory to carry out just one experience of theatrical consumption. In this way, it was built a setting that favours a free and active choice by the students, by guaranteeing at least one experience of theatre consumption. This choice was necessary to promote the active participation and the interest of the young people involved.

European Dimension

The students discovered the European theatrical production (i.e. French and Italian opera and theatre) via the shows they saw.

Applied in projects

The sensory theatre. New transnational strategies for theatre audience building in the frame of the ”Creative Europe”

”Senses: The Sensory Theatre. New transnational strategies for theatre audience building” is an European Cooperation Project 2015-2017 co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme (agreement number 2015 –1633 / 001 –001). It’s main aims are:
1. To implement a new strategy of theatre audience building by improving access to creative works and intensifying their live experience;
2. To enhance the cultural and creative sector capacity to operate transnationally;
3. To reinforce youths’ involvement not only as potential consumers, but also as creators and critics of contemporary European culture, promoting their own creative talent in co-writing the drama;
4. To create new forms of collaboration between cultural and creative operators and the European higher education system.