Nature – Community – Ritual
Community building through drama therapy
Project description
Together with Susana Pendzik and researchers and students from the Intercultural University in Veracruz, Mexico, DGfT and ITT are currently working on the development of an internationally applicable program for the use of drama therapy and ritual in the face of the challenges posed by the climate crisis.
The aim is to create experiential spaces in which children, young people, adults and older people from different cultures can reconnect with each other and with nature in order to collectively overcome fear and pain in the face of the threat posed by climate change and develop the ability to act.
Rituals
In drama therapy, rituals are used as an essential element to help people cope with the emotional turmoil in challenging situations and existential crises and to develop a sense of community and thus coping skills and hope.
The indigenous Nahua culture is characterized by a ritual practice that includes rituals to connect to “Mother Earth”.
The indigenous Nahua culture is characterized by a ritual practice that includes rituals to connect to “Mother Earth”.
In April 2024, a first encounter between methods of drama therapy and the indigenous Nahua culture took place in Xalapa/Veracruz, Mexico. In the interaction between the ritual practice of the Nahua and theater therapy ritual work, a form of encounter was developed in which four generations (children, adolescents, adults, seniors) were brought into an exchange about their experiences in the face of the threat posed by climate change. The content developed by the participants was integrated into a communal ritual.
The next step
In Santa Cruz, Mexico, the next step is to work in a school with the pupils and their parents and grandparents. This intergenerational group then travels to various places in the state of Veracruz to perform the ritual they have developed together in schools and marketplaces, thus bringing the topic closer to the local people.
Money is urgently needed to continue the project in Mexico. The first meeting in Xalapa was financed from private funds, the drama therapists from Israel and Germany covered their own costs. We will apply for funding to further develop the project in Germany, but we have not received any funding for the work in Mexico. The people in Santa Cruz now urgently need support to continue the work there. We need 3250 euros for the material costs for the ritual, the travel through the state and for the documentation.
With your support, this project can continue to grow. Become part of the community that supports this work. Every donation, every sharing of this appeal will make it possible for more people of all ages and cultures in Mexico to come together can come together and participate in this creative process.
Donation account:
Donation account:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Theatertherapie DE82 6001 0070 0959 6637 00
Project management
Susana Penzik and Ingrid Lutz In cooperation with Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural y Centro de EcoAlfabetizacion y Dialogo de Saberes