The INDRA Congress 2018
Our INDRA International Theatre Connections Group have been invited to the 2018 INDRA International Congress in South Africa.
There are INDRA groups in the UK, Palestine, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, Cyprus and Greece. The groups use the arts to explore issues that are important to the young people and every few years they hold a congress – the 2018 International Congress is in Durban, South Africa in July 2018. Representatives from each country will travel to the Congress to share their stories, and spend the week creating new work together. Previous International Congresses were held in Plymouth, Derry and Palestine.
We want to take 4 of our young members to the Congress (all of which had to submit an application of why they should be chosen to go) and need your help to raise funds to pay for their flights and transfers/travel to South Africa.
Our Crowdfunder will run from 13 March to 9 April so please pledge what to can to help us enable our young people to be a part of the INDRA Congress 2018 and represent our city and country. Without your help we won’t be able to send these young people to South Africa.
Meet our 4 INDRA Plymouth representatives
When INDRA Plymouth were invited to the Congress in South Africa, each member was asked to submit an application detailing why they wanted to attend, what they could bring to the Congress, and then bring back to benefit Plymouth and other members of INDRA. The four lucky members chosen were Ellie, Georgia, Joel and Sarah. If you click each name below you can to watch a short film where they talk about attending the congress:
Here's some pics of Ellie, Georgia, Joel and Sarah with other INDRA Plymouth members in their recent performance of 'Once Upon a Time...' which was part of Barbican Theatre's 'Another World Is Possible' Spring Performance Platform.
(credit Gemma Ward Photography)
The INDRA South Africa group (below) who the INDRA Plymouth group have already met when the Congress was in Plymouth and have maintained a digital relationship since. They really want to travel to South Africa to see and create with them again but this time where they live and experiencing their lifestyle and culture.
About INDRA Plymouth
INDRA Plymouth meet at Barbican Theatre every Wednesday from 6 - 8pm to create performances based on the mission of the INDRA Congress and discuss current topics such as politics, environmental issues and social concerns.
There are currently 11 members of INDRA Plymouth aged 14 - 18 from various locations across the city. if you are interested in joining Indra Plymouth please contact [email protected]
Sessions are led by Alix Harris, who is a very well respected theatre practitioner, lecturer and artist (Alix is the founder and Artistic Director of Beyond Face whose mission is to raise the profile and visibility of people of colour in performance.) If the Crowdfunder is successful Alix will accompany the youth team to the INDRA Congress in South Africa.
The mission of the INDRA Congress
The mission of the Indra Congress is to make available to young people from fractured communities and settings of personal and social conflict art forms through which they can express their needs and ambitions for equitable and just human relations.
We aim to provide a network of safe, creative spaces in which young people can share stories, give expression to their thoughts, feelings and aspirations and explore strategies for dealing peacefully and effectively with challenging situations in their lives and communities.
Our vision is to use the language of the arts to promote empathy and to connect young people to their peers elsewhere in the world. They can thereby learn more about themselves from each other and build relationships across boundaries. From this experience they may become makers of change in their own communities and advocates for justice in civil society.
For more information on the INDRA Congress and its work please visit theindracongress.com
About Barbican Theatre
Barbican Theatre is a dynamic charity started in 1980, in Plymouth, with young people and the development of creative skills at the heart of all that we do. Our ambition has been to raise the standard of dance and theatre performance being produced by, with and for young people.
We seek to challenge what traditional notions of theatre and dance are and liberate the imagination of young people to create fresh and exciting work that comes from new and unusual voices – voices that are often unheard. We challenge our young people to work hard at their craft and develop creative and social skills which enhance their learning, resilience and determination to succeed in whatever career path they choose.
For more information on Barbican Theatre and its work please visit barbicantheatre.co.uk