Summer Camps
2013 - 2016
The Future is Yours
Piatra Neamț, Romania, 2016
Using their independent research as the starting point, the students began to write their own scenes in which they communicated their discoveries to their audience. The scenes were devised, developed and rehearsed over the two weeks. What resulted was a piece of activist theatre created by a group of young students (11 - 18 years old) who are concerned about their future. The performance aimed to educate the audience about the choices they make and to warn them about what will happen if we carry on destroying the planet, if we carry on believing that we, human-animals, own and master nature.
This year's camp ended with the confirmation that a few more young activists will be joining the global fight against corporate greed and consumerist passivity. They will not stand by and watch the world make the choice of profit over people.
"The Future is Yours”, the fourth instalment of our “English through social theatre” summer camp saw us working together with the participants to create a performance exploring the effects of global warming and the greed and sense of competition which lies at the root of climate change.
Surrounded by the beautiful Moldavian mountains, the students researched, debated and imagined what their future will look like if we do not act now. Some key points of research that stood out for the students:
1-2 acres of Rainforest are cleared every second.
20 football stadiums of trees are cut down every minute.
Even without fossil fuels, we will exceed our 565 rigatonis CO2 limit by 2030, all from raising animals.
2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef.
Livestock covers 45% of the Earth’s total land
Facilitators: Sînziana Cojocărescu and Nico Vaccari.
This summer camp was a collaboration with Mara Study Turism and sculptor Bianca Mann.
Why We Do Harm
Bran, Romania, 2015
Bravely exploring corruption in the educational system, gendered violence, the mindless drilling for oil, illegal hunting for bears and the consequences of oppressive family environments, the students in ‘Why we do harm’ reached out to their audience and left them impacted by an overwhelming empathy and feeling of communication.
We were joined by visual artist Bianca Mann who ran daily sculpture workshops with the students, and organised an exhibition of their work at the end of the camp.
Our third theatre summer camp was in 2015 in Bran, Romania. Unlike the first two years which used abridged Shakespeare texts to explore important social and political ideas, Nico Vaccari and Fragen Theatre Company's Roland Reynolds coordinated a group of 11 - 17 year old students in devising, writing and performing their own production entitled ‘Why we do harm’.
As a piece of forum theatre, the students explored and answered a series of questions centred around why people harm others, themselves, animals or the environment. All based on real experiences, what was finally created was a frank and personal look at how young Romanians perceive the harm committed and encouraged in the society in which they are growing up today.
Facilitators: Roland Reynolds and Nico Vaccari.
This summer camp was a collaboration with Mara Study Turism and sculptor Bianca Mann.
Macbeth
Belciugatele, Romania, 2014
In the summer of 2014 Nico Vaccari directed an abridged Macbeth for the second English through theatre summer camp.
Through Shakespeare’s infamous text Nico explored the ideas of greed and power and their destructive potential with the group of 12 - 16 year olds . Throughout rehearsals the students asked themselves and each other vital questions about the contemporary Romanian society they live in and the impact greed and materialistic obsession are having on their friends', parents' and their own lives. The students left the summer camp armed with a pressing contemporary understanding of greed, how it manifests in society and how it can be combated and prevented.
Facilitator: Nico Vaccari.
This summer camp was a collaboration with Mara Study Turism.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Râșnov, Romania, 2013
The first English through theatre summer camp took place in Râșnov, Romania in 2013. Sînziana Cojocărescu, Nico Vaccari and Roland Reynolds co-directed an abridged version of Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream with a group of participants aged 12-16.
One of the focal points of the camp was to remind the participants of the values of community, the power of creativity and imagination and the importance of play. These are values that we consider to be very important, values that sadly are being forgotten in high-stimulation consumer societies where social media and virtual reality worlds are the driving force of interaction.
Facilitators: Sînziana Cojocărescu, Roland Reynolds and Nico Vaccari.
This summer camp was a collaboration with Mara Study Turism.
