SPD “Human Resource Development” Project and Playback Theatre in Lithuania

Report by Rasa Urbšiene. Vilnius, Lithuania

Cultural activities are supposed to be as a meaningful tool for life quality development, social integration and social change in Europe cultural and social politic more and more. Culture and social fields tend to integrate. Projects combining arts and social work are a new and innovative thing in Lithuania and other new EU countries.

Playback theatre is making the first steps in Lithuania. This year our company has attained the support to introduce and to develop an innovative social impact’s tools and methods for increasing the social integration possibilities for the people living in social isolation. In the project are integrating traditional teaching methods (theoretical material, lectures and discussions) and to make learning process for target group more efficient – methods and elements of expressive arts and Playback Theater.

Some of the artistic and ethical challenges that could be expected include:

The support from EU Structural Funds for Lithuania in 2004-2008 is provided under the Single Programming Document for 2004-2008 (hereinafter - the SPD) approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and by the European Commission. The SPD established five investment priorities: development of social and economic infrastructure, human resource development, development of productive sector, rural and fisheries development, and technical assistance. Our project fits in to the second SPD priority “Human Resource Development”.

Main goal of the our project "Implementation of the New Social Methods for Strengthening of the Drug Addicts’ Work Integration" is to increase the possibilities of the integration in the labour market for the drug addicts and to stop the formation of young people’s addictional behaviour. The activities of the project are directed to fulfill the needs of the target group members to get knowledge and practical experiences in the work search, to develop social competences, self presentation skills and perception of the others.

Playback theater’s tools are useful and efficient for an establishment of the safe and creative environment for participants where they can share their individual experiences and mutual ideas in the particular field of learning. The project has started with the session of 6 seminars for 30 people this autumn. Psychologists and social workers of our organization together with methodological work expert Rasa Urbsiene offer new forms of social integration work in Lithuania and hope that this project will show how meaningful is Playback Theatre for life quality change.