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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