In the Theatre School of Resistance, a participatory theatre-research project with second-generation Black and Muslim youth in the Netherlands, we spent 14 weeks covering topics of belonging, citizenship, racism, Islamophobia and resistance. This video is a synopsis of our final show, performed in the spirit of Forum Theatre. Augusto Boal is credited with saying: “Theatre is a rehearsal for the revolution”. The final performance showcased three scenarios of oppression inspired by stories participants had shared during the Theatre School. Using Forum Theatre, the audience was invited to “rehearse resistance” with the cast by giving suggestions for what could be done differently to improve the outcome of the scene. The Theatre School of Resistance draws on Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) techniques and was developed as part of Valerie Stam’s PhD research entitled “Islamophobia, Racism, and Belonging: The Experiences of Second-Generation Youth in the Netherlands.”
