KETHANO theatre programme
The programme called KETHANO theatre is a group work building on restorative practices; this method is able to treat tensions and conflicts coming from the differences of minority identity. The KETHANO Theatre, as a special conflict management and community building method, is applied first and foremost in case of the re-socialization of Roma youth. It is a social skill developing program against school failure and in favour of facilitate integration and acceptance by using dramatic methods involving 7-14 years old 100% Roma pupils in the programme. The pupils are disadvantaged and multiple disadvantaged children, who are threatened by early school leaving. Once these pupils were classmates in the elementary school of their segregated school. Due to a binding integration in the city they were uprooted from their everyday environment and dispersed in different elementary schools of Nyíregyháza, quite far from their homes. In the city schools they find themselves in very different physical, cultural and emotional environment, that is why their integration was slow and difficult. As a result of this shocking change in their life, they have to face everyday school failure and prejudice.
The local child care service has decided to organize drama courses for minority pupils who were uprooted from their everyday environment in order to integrate them in majority schools. The courses were hold after school lessons, close to their homes, involving their parents as well. Basic principles were to get to know these children, to get to know their life environment, their culture, and their everyday life including their problems/obstacles they have to face in their family. Pupils make theatre plays together, perform them on stage developing this way their social skills and letting them feeling success, appreciation by their majority class mates and teachers as well.
The aim of the programme is to build, continuously tend and develop a community where pupils can learn how to accept and respect differences, the mutual honour and regard, they can experience the value and pleasure of knowledge came by their common work, the mutual responsibility and assistance. In order to operate the group adequately they create KETHANO (common) rules. Such as ‘receptive listening’, ‘value it’, ‘mutual respect’, ‘principle of confidence’, ‘don’t devaluate’, ‘self-messages’, ‘right of pass’. The child care officers, who lead the programme, put emphasise on community building exercises, to get to know each other and self-reinforcing exercises. They apply talking circles in different topics. They believe in the importance of bridge building between school and the family, that is why they involved parents as well. The following methods were applied during teamwork: restorative practices, drama pedagogy, other pedagogy methods, games for better self-recognition and communication. Involvement and active participation of professional actors and members of other, respected institutions (headmaster of local music school) contributed positively to the success and self-respect of pupils.