Theaterforum: sources and dimensions of degrowth

A role play on the sources and dimensions of degrowth based on forum theatre techniques (es tut mir leid, nur auf Englisch)

The theatre will start to be prepared at the class of December 18th. Date of presentation will also be determined then.

This is a working draft for the Fundamentalekurs Grenzen des Wachstums, available for editing and proposals by all course participants.

Objectives

Teaching degrowth, particularly understanding:

• the sources of degrowth (the main concerns around degrowth like justice, ecology, democracy, bioeconomy, buen vivir, conviviality etc.)
• the dimensions of degrowth (the main areas to deal with, related to limits to growth: time, availability of resources, money, social comparison, need to consume, productive capacity etc.)
• the complementarity of the different sources and dimensions

Needs

• good basic scenarios that link the different dimensions of degrowth (see below)
• a place for the theatre to take place, including space for the public (the scene)
• (spect-)actors for the startup scenario
• actors focalized on each source of degrowth (the maniacs)
• every actor needs to be well prepared and, for the source maniacs, knowledgeable of their background
• hats with name of the source for each degrowth source fan

Scenarios

We will have one or two startup scenarios prepared. Here are the current proposals (feel free to be criative and add more - we will discuss them next lesson)

Versorgung von ökologische Lebensmittel

The steps

Preparation

1. Background texts on different sources and authors of degrowth are provided
2. Each student selects the role/source he/she wants to play as a degrowth source fan
3. Each one reads background texts (I will share some in the following days) and looks for other relevant information to prepare for its role at a theoretical level
4. Each maniac will present to each other at a class and train some argumentation
5. Friends or other interested people are invited to be the first "spect-actors" and shortly briefed on what they

The Play

Presentation of the degrowth source fans (the actors)

These can be justice, ecology, democracy, bioeconomy, buen vivir, conviviality, anti-utilitarist, etc.. Each has its own specific hat.

This is the occasion to explain the background of each source and make the link with the authors previously analysed (please note that they are usually not linked to a single source). The actors, contrarily to the degrowth authors, are “mono-source” in our play (this character is to be really exaggerated, they should be some kind of maniacs).

Acts

1. The different source actors react on the problematic
2. The public reacts on the problematic
3. Searching for integrated solution for resources availability

Conclusion