9.00 - 10.00

Keynote speech 

Chris Cooper, AN OFFER YOU CANNOT REFUSE 

We cannot 'give' someone our understanding. Real understanding must be felt, only then can it be integrated into a child's mind. Resonance is the starting point of the integration process. It connects the situations and stories dramatized to our lives. The resonance they carry engages us powerfully, affectively. As Geoff Gillham noted, "Resonance is not authoritarian; yet it's an offer you cannot refuse!" In this keynote Cooper will explore the concept of resonance and its key role in making drama a profound affective tool for learning.

 

10.00–10.30 coffee

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10.30 - 12.30

Workshops 

 

Tom Schweitzer, THEATRICAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 

In this workshop we will explore games and exercises from theatre pedagogy to shape teaching processes and to give impulses to the group dynamics of the class. We try out activities that can positively influence the course of a lesson focusing on four topics: Activation, interaction, emotional connection and calming down. We also have a close look at the "performance" of the teacher. The use of one's own voice, the expression of non-verbal postures, the play with high and low status will be part of the workshop.

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Jelena Kovačić, FROM PICTURE TO STORY

Fine art is part of the general world of art that uses its own language as a form of communication. Instead of words, it is expressed in forms - color, line and volume that need to be experienced with the sense of sight and then touch. Looking, in the artistic sense, means the same as reading in the literary sense, therefore we will primarily look at works of art, and then describe them by touch and sound, and share the mutual experience. In doing so, we will create our own inner emotional worlds that will serve as a basis for developing the story.

The workshop is designed as a drama-creative process in which the artworks of local artists from Podravina, Croatia - Iva Bolfek, Bojan Koštić and Zvonimir Haramija - will serve as an incentive for the development of a dramatic story. The workshop aims to combine visual arts and drama pedagogy, which will serve as a kind of education for all participants about the visual works of local authors and about the composition of the dramatic text itself, but above all as a different kind of stimulus for linguistic creativity.

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Maša Rimac Jurinović, EXCUSE ME... ARE YOU A WITCH?

In the workshop, we will use drama techniques to bring to life the story of a very, very black, but also a bit lonely cat, Herbert, who has learned in the city library that witches love black cats. So, what else is left for him than to start searching for his witch?

The goals of this workshop are to play with the narrative, to offer new ways of searching for the witch, and to creatively change the ending. Why? - To encourage children to read the original story and enjoy reading.

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12.30–13.00 coffee

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​13.00 - 15.00

Workshops

 

Chris Cooper, A JOURNEY THROUGH FOLKTALES

Why do very young children sit enthralled by folktales where heroes triumph in the face of grave danger? What is of interest to the dramatist is the unconscious/subconscious level of engagement children have with these stories. Wonder, fear and awe are old friends. And the world of course is full of dangers. Folklore and philosophy meet at this intersection, where wonder and fear converge into something both unsettling and marvellous. According to Maria Tatar in a folktale, 'anything can happen, and what happens is often so startling ... that it often produces a jolt.' That jolt opens a gap in understanding that provides new insights and an opportunity for meaning making. This practical workshop will take a traditional folk tale as a starting point to explore the use of educational theatre and drama to create something both unsettling and marvellous.

 

Claudia Bühlmann, WALK & TALK & PLAY 

Join us for a dynamic and engaging "Walk & Talk & Play" session at the conference. This interactive format pairs participants at random for a walk, guided by thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations. Whether discussing conference-specific topics or broader professional insights, the walk is an opportunity to connect, reflect, and exchange ideas in a relaxed setting.

After the walk, participants will reconvene for a playful reflection session, sharing key takeaways from the experience. The workshop promotes collaboration, new perspectives, and deeper connections among attendees.

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Maja Sviben, NEWSPAPER THEATRE

The workshop is designed as an introduction to Augusto Boal's Newspaper Theatre, a set of theatrical techniques developed to explore the way we engage with news media. Newspaper Theatre, introduced by Boal in his seminal 1974 book Theatre of the Oppressed, consists of 12 techniques that invite participants to creatively reimagine and reinterpret news articles. These techniques empower individuals to critically examine the media and its representation of social issues, encouraging dialogue, reflection, and collective exploration.

By applying the methods of Newspaper Theatre, the workshop aims to foster a deeper understanding of how media shapes our perceptions of the reality we live in, inspiring participants to question and reframe the information they consume.

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