Forum theatre – a Learning Instrument for Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Forum theatre – a Learning Instrument for Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The project was implemented through the collaboration of six partners’ schools from Romania (coordinator), Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Italy.
The project aim was:
– to implement an innovative non-formal method, namely the Forum Theatre in the teaching/learning to make teaching more attractive
– motivating students to develop the key skills necessary for personal and professional development for an easier transition from school to work
The activities we had carry out had the purpose to achieve the objectives:
OP1. Fostering quality innovative educational methods by using non-formal method of forum theatre in learning/teaching activities.
OP2. Developing communication in foreign language, digital skills, entrepreneurship and civic skills to students for an easier transition from educational environment to the labor market.
Op3. Developing ICT competency by using tools for enhancing communication, teaching, learning and assessment practice.
OP4. Developing interest in multiculturalism and multilingualism, a responsive and proactive attitude towards new cultural contexts.
The target group consists of teachers and students (between 15-19 years old) form the six partners, and, at the end of the project, more than 1000 peoples were involved directly or indirectly in the activities. The total international mobilities were 180 teachers and 60 students.

To reach the above objectives the following activities were done in a logical sequence:
1. a research was done by applying a questionnaire on a number of 250 students. The results were published on the first intellectual output O1 “Values and interests of adolescents in Europe”.
2. The output O1 was disseminated in a multiplier event, a seminar “The interests of teenagers and career success a comparative analysis”.
3. It had been organised four joint staff training: “Introduction in forum theatre” (Romania), “Using non -formal methods in the teaching / learning in a European context” (Bulgaria) , “Forum Theatre, a non -formal teaching method: achievements and challenges” (Turkey), “ICT and virtual futures forum theatre communication” (Romania).
4. It has been organised 2 learning activities: mini festivals “With mask, without mask” (Italy) and “We dream the same dream” (Slovenia). Students forum theatre plays were posted on the eTwinning and Facebook to track the impact of a larger number of beneficiaries.
5. Teachers applied the forum theatre method in the classroom to various disciplines. This experience was reflected in articles for the second output O2 “Forum theatre: a non-formal teaching method in European context: methodological guide”.
6. The intellectual output was presented in a second multiplier event, a conference “Theatre forum non -formal teaching method in the European context”.

The results of the project were consistent:
1. Intellectual output O1, a study “Values and interests of adolescents in Europe” that is based on 250 answers and emphasize the students interests.
2. Intellectual output O2, a methodological guide ““Forum theatre: a non-formal teaching method in European context: methodological guide” that has attached 2 DVD with examples of good practice.
3. Two student magazines “Open gates to Europe”, one for each project year with articles written by students about non-formal experiences they had in school.
4. 15 recorded forum theatre plays
5. 9 articles about non-formal methods of education and forum theatre
6. participation to an International Theatre Festival (Iasi, Romania), a Regional theatre contest (Baia Mare, Romania), a local theatre contest (Iasi, Romania)

Students also were involved in celebration some international days, they performed their plays with different occasion (like Christmas), they prepared trailers for their forum plays, advertise it is school, participated to Romanian national contest “Made for Europe”, involved in helping others, prepared project newspapers, presented their experience as guests in the multiplier event E2.

Forum Theatre method determined teachers to know their students better, to improve communication and emotional problems faced by some students, to develop students’ communication skills in mother tongue and in foreign languages. Students improved social skills, ethical, multicultural ones and improved their use of ICT. During the implementation of project, teachers of different specialties have worked together, exchanged experiences, enriched their knowledge. They improved and developed their pedagogical skills, communication in foreign languages, organisational skills and use of ICT for teaching.

The dissemination tools and channels that we have used had an impact on the school, on community and decision makers and we believe we already rose awareness of decision makers to recommend Forum Theatre method. With the completion of the project we continue with the implementation of forum theatre method both in the schools participating in the project and in other schools.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 215807 Eur

Project Coordinator

Colegiul National ,,Garabet Ibraileanu” & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. Wojska Polskiego w Blaszkach
• Gimnazija Ptuj
• Anamur Anadolu Lisesi
• Profesionalna gimnazia po gorsko stopanstvo i darvoobrabotvane”N.Haitov” / Vocational School of Forestry and Carpentry
• I.I.S. VIA EMERY 97 ( ex ITC Calamandrei, ex IPS Stendhal)