Earlier this month York BEd alum Tristan Castro Pozo facilitated a puppetry workshop at the 22nd annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed conference – Breaking the Silence: From Rebellion to Waging Love – at Cass Commons in Detroit (June 1 – 4). Tristan was one of 250 participants from 7 countries to participate in the annual conference of educators, activists, change makers, actors and non-actors from all over the world.
Participants gathered to connect with each other, create solutions and art, and challenge each other to empower their respective communities and problem-solve in innovative ways.
The workshop offered participants an approach into Lambe-lambe’s pinhole-puppetry, a form of Brazilian popular theatre that first appeared in the 1980s to tackle Sex Ed in public schools in Salvador (BRA). Participants explored and unveiled the main components of this popular theatre technique, which includes storytelling to facilitate an atmosphere of sharing their own personal experiences and stories. Participants also designed their own cardboard miniature puppets and learned the basic skills of puppetry.
“The experience ties directly into my own experience and studies in my BEd and upcoming MEd,” said Tristan. “I have been developing drama education units with students in special education programs, which offered students opportunities for engaging with personal and community empowerment issues providing a sort of anti-Panoptic perspective. My participation in this event reaffirms my commitment to critical pedagogy, which offers political tools and a voice to both teachers and learners.”