Author:
Mariia Kucova
It's a Tuesday evening. I'm sitting in the waiting room of the Kyiv branch of the "Voices of Children" Foundation with a few teenagers, waiting for the acting class to start. A few girls are talking to each other. It's probably not the first time they have been here.
Soon, the door opens, and a girl with fiery golden hair and an equally radiant smile emerges. This is Oksana Bohutska, the head of the club. Under her belt, she has experience in academic theatre, independent theatrical workshops, and teaching at an inclusive theatre studio, where, in particular, children with autism are taught.
That's when I realised that theatre is a significant social narrative and that theatre truly has a healing effect,
Oksana shared after the class.
Oksana shared after the class.
The very same evening, I witnessed it for myself.
Getting to know each other: smiles despite the pangs
The class started with icebreakers. Sitting in a circle, everyone told a little about themselves. And then I felt a pang in my heart. Most children were from the Donetsk region — Donetsk, Sloviansk, Mariupol. "And I'm from Horlivka", I continued the sombre narrative.
Next came several exercises to memorise names. This allowed us not only to learn everyone's name but also to get a bit more involved. If there was any embarrassment at first, it disappeared after these exercises. The children were smiling.
As it turned out, the girls who had been talking to each other before class had become friends at this particular club. Stasia, Oleksa, and Yuliana shared giggles throughout the entire evening.
Along with them, you could often hear Illia. He had an opinion about everything that was going on around him and wanted to express it at all costs. By the way, the thirst for communication was the main reason the boy came to the club. As it turned out, he was not the only one who needed it.
Interacting with others: from tortoise to creator
The central part of the class was devoted to interaction with others. Yet, this was preceded by work on ourselves — Brownian motion at different paces. We had to imagine ourselves as a character who moves very slowly (Illia drew an analogy with a sloth and a tortoise), at a relaxed pace and very fast.
Having practised feeling ourselves within the space, we moved on to exercises in pairs. One of the participants used a "magic hand" to guide the other so they didn't bump into anyone else. Then, we switched roles.
Later, when discussing their impressions of the class, the children said that they liked the "Magic Hand" the most. But there was another exercise that appealed to me.
It consisted of several parts. We started by forming two groups, each participant of which chose an object in the room. The first task was to come up with a story that would involve each selected object. The second task was to act out the story.
If after the icebreaker exercises we shed our tension and relaxed, then after this one, we were thoroughly entertained. Playing out the stories we came up with made us feel like real creators.
Reflection: theatre as a form of therapy
The class ended as it began, in a circle. But now instead of introductions; we were sharing our impressions.
According to the participants, it was challenging to gather and attend the club due to fatigue after school, unfinished homework, or simply laziness. However, in the end, no one regretted it because everyone had a great time.
I liked the fact that the children here are nice, friendly and no one offends anyone,
said Ania.
said Ania.
Since most of the teenagers are involuntary Internally Displaced People (IDPs), they often face poor treatment, but not here. Everyone is welcomed with joy at the "Voices of Children" Foundation.
Here, you can switch off from all the problems we face in everyday life. Here, you can find support and some help,
said Nika.
said Nika.
This is precisely how theatre works — healing through play. By acting out imaginary stories, children acquire essential life skills related to healthy social relationships.
The Kyiv branch team continues its work to help children, and their parents overcome the consequences of the war. To follow its activities, subscribe to the Telegram channel.
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