are becoming less and less . Lebanon rarely has a good public space . So u should keep forward to regain / create the public space in one way . And on the other way is to make from this public space meaningful and open for possibilities , possibilities of meeting , gathering , sharing , collective experience , and also critical thinking . It is against all mainstream Medias that are controlled by those political systems .
q ) what all are your other activities ?
We planned our next project on an educative line to expand and widened the theatre practitioners , and as well the theatre audience . So we are doing several capacity building workshops . And we also perforate for schools and universities . No worries . We are doing , drama therapy workshops for youth , training for heater practitioners , performing for university and schools students , and artistic mentorship programme . The focus is children and youth .
q ) how do you see body being used as political weapon in a country like yours as i heard there are some restrictions on art ?
On country restrictions , Theatre and art are the most creative weapons ever . That ’ s why it is feared by all closed systems and that ’ s why there are a lot of sensor ships on it . Our presence as artists is aga inst them . Even if we don ’ t do anything , it ’ s a threat . Because , the authority need a world with full of employees . They don ’ t want creativity . They want the people to obey and imply what the market and what their ideologies impose to function for the system . Creativity will carry doubts and doubts will carry critical thinking and all of this will lead to a change because it is the human nature . Change is against their stability . q ) So how they censor art , especially theatre ? What are the means and modes of censoring ?
Those who are ruling are bureaucrats and business men who have their own interest . Sensor chip in Lebanon in theatre is on the text you send the text and pay 100 $ to get censored . It ’ s about religion sex and politics . Mainly it is the sectarian politics . Naming is not welcome there . We have it on films too . It is more difficult for films .
q ) So do you have any experience with censoring ?
Yes sure But long stories … like failed to get on or something like that . We always find different ways to get over it . We change in the text and we are smart about it They are usually stupid .
q ) study says that the trauma of war is high in children that they draw pictures of tanks and bloodshed . You are working in such a situation . So , how do you think you can make changes through theatre bringing back / changing the mind-set of people from war ?
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