Harmony alumni, Amila Beširević, created this project and implemented it in the period from March to April 2023. The project gathered 30 young and motivated participants, and the project had around 1000 indirect beneficiaries – who had a chance to watch a performance.
The task of raising children and young people is to create humane, sensitive citizens ready to feel empathy and understand and accept those who are different and different from themselves. In education, awareness of others and different is created from a young age through the contact of children with pets.
It is important to contribute to the healthy upbringing of the new generation through awareness of the love for animals, information about the problem of stray dogs and the lack of protection systems, and budgets for dog shelters, which in most cases are left to the will of individuals who want to help animals from the streets.
The aim of this project was to:
Raise awareness about the heartbreaking issue of abandoned street dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the lack of compassion.
Children and youth recognize drama methods as a learning medium.
Children and young people become aware of the power they carry within themselves in order to create changes in the community.
A group of children and young adults between the ages of 11 and 16 who are members of the Youth Theatre of Tuzla, the Association „Youth of Tuzla“ and part of the students of the “Contemporary – Art High School” Tuzla pointed out the need to change the community’s awareness of the behavior towards animals on the street and the need for citizens to react to the violence they witnessed. Before the very start of the “Theatre for change” project in March 2023, a group of 30 children and young people conducted research, surveyed the community on the topic of abandoned stray dogs and the attitude of citizens towards them, and wrote a script for a theater play.
The play was inspired by the fact that in Tuzla, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in general, a large number of violent behavior towards animals by children and young people was observed in school playgrounds where there are unprotected street animals. The performance was performed twice in March for about 300 visitors who are children, young people, and adults from Tuzla and its surroundings. After the premiere, the play was performed for eighth and ninth-grade students of 5 different elementary schools in the area of Tuzla Canton.
After the play students, their teachers, and pedagogues, in agreement with the school, organized a round table, discussion, debates or drama process workshops inspired by the watched play. The strength and advantage of this project is in the method and methodology of information transfer and influence on the individual’s consciousness.
The dramatic play and theatrical expression on the stage will not directly call out anyone who is or is not guilty of some action, but will sufficiently warn all those present about irregularities in the treatment of animals and people. It will encourage every direct and indirect user of the project to review the actions that they have done and that they will do in the future.
Dramatic play also develops social skills, and the direct participants in the play, in addition to dealing with a serious topic, will improve speaking skills, teamwork, trust, communication, active listening, and concentration, all to strengthen and preserve mental health.
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