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Community Theatre Project. April 16th to May 2nd 2006
"Theatre in Nicaragua is a tool for social change and
revolution. It's for and with the community."
Efrem from Ali Samul (Matagalpa Youth Theatre).
Anna
Herrmann interviews Emily Hunka, member of the second Nicaragua Community
Theatre Project organised by the NSC in April 2006. Emily talks about the
profound effect the trip had on her and the way in which it has changed her
approach to community theatre.
Photo shows the UK community theatre participants during a drama workshop with
Nicaraguan community theatre group El Capullo.
" Staying with families and working with the theatre group was one of the most memorable experiences of my
life, and incredibly inspiring."
What do you do in the UK?
I am Voices Project Leader for Greenwich and Lewisham Young People's
Theatre. We work through drama with young asylum seekers and refugees to build
their confidence, and self-esteem.
What first made you interested in the Nicaragua community theatre project?
I first heard about it through my work. My manager suggested it looked like an
interesting project… The more I read about it, the more it sounded fantastic,
and very relevant to the work I do with young people from abroad.
What were your impressions of Nicaragua? What did you learn about the country?
I had an absolutely amazing time from the minute I stepped off the plane and
was given a warm welcome by Julian (the NSC representative), to the moment I
arrived at the airport to fly home. My impressions are of a small, passionate
country, with immense beauty, but more than this, immense conviction. The
difference between this trip and others was definitely the fact that it had an
ideological background - organised by the NSC from their perspective of the
politics and history. This was very important because it gave the trip a focus.
I learnt a huge amount about the Frente Sandinista (FSLN), the revolution, the
Somoza era and current economic and social policies. Before this I knew nothing
about Nicaragua, so it was a steep learning curve and a very exciting one.
How was the organisation of the trip?
I really can't praise the organisation of the trip enough. The Nicaragua
Solidarity Campaign staff and Gioconda Perez (who was contracted to work with
the group in Nicaragua) looked after our needs far better than I have
experienced on other trips. The programme was well balanced between theatre work
and sightseeing.
How did you find the companies you worked with? What issues were they dealing
with?
I had profound experiences working with El Largatillo in the Achuapa region
in a remote village with limited electricity and running water. Staying with
families and working with the theatre group there was one of the most memorable
experiences of my life, and incredibly inspiring. It was brilliant to see
'political' theatre in action - theatre about the immediate experiences of
people in the community. We made theatre about globalisation, in particular the
globalisation of water, with El Capullo. It was exciting to be addressing issues
at such a complex level through immediate theatre.
The second experience was with Seguan, a coastal community in Salines
Grandes, Leon. It was a more challenging experience because we were told we
would be collaborating on a project with children but that didn't materialise.
However, it was still great to see a very different community to El Largatillo,
and to see how human rights and theatre combined to address extreme poverty and
the issues that arise from it. We also got the chance to run a workshop for
children, and do some work with members of the community on charity versus
sustainable support. We devised pieces using the title "What is better, to give
a man a fish or to teach him how to fish?"
I also, under my own steam, visited a youth theatre project in Matagalpa, who
work with Children's Right's organisation Cesesma to discuss issues affecting
children in rural communities. I saw some extremely inspiring theatre work about
domestic violence against children.
What was your greatest point of learning?
Nicaragua's history itself and how extraordinary it is to work with people
whose experience of it remains current and visceral in their theatre work. Efrem
from Ali Samul (Matagalpa Youth Theatre) said "Theatre in Nicaragua is a tool
for social change and revolution. It's for and with the community." Although
government funding of the arts has been cut back to practically nothing, this
ideology is still current in all the work, from El Largatillo to work done by
politically and socially aware children. Even Capullo's production of Midsummer
Night's Dream seemed to embody (and was dedicated to) the Sandinista ideal. I
felt so inspired, because this experience is something we've moved completely
away from in the UK. I came away feeling I've learnt that theatre really could
and SHOULD be used politically.
What was your biggest challenge?
It was all so well organised, interesting and inspiring that there weren't
too many challenging moments. Even the bits I thought would be difficult like
living without electricity and the extremely long bumpy bus journeys were OK
because we'd been well prepared. In terms of the country itself, the poverty and
brutal history were extremely shocking. I think I came away much more
politicised. But I'm glad we were exposed to it. A really good trip includes not
just the pretty or awe-inspiring bits but the reality and the challenges to us
to change, and this did!
What would you say to someone who was thinking about going?
I would say categorically that this experience will change your life and you
should go if you can. It can seem expensive, but it's actually extraordinarily
good value for money considering once you're in Nicaragua food, travel,
accommodation is all included. And all the people are absolutely fantastic too.
It was great for me because it was theatre. It gave it a pertinent focus that
was relevant and exciting. But you don't need to be a theatre professional to
get a lot out of it. Just a passion for theatre is enough.
How has this experience affected you in the UK or changed your ideas/views?
As I said, I've come away much more politicised and aware of the impact of
globalisation and capitalism on the world at large. I really want to do some
political theatre with the young people I work with, where as before, I didn't
think such a thing was possible. It's also made me even more convinced that
theatre has the real power to change lives. I've never seen this demonstrated
before as I did in Nicaragua. My company is hoping to set up an exchange with
the Matagalpa youth theatre, so young people can be inspired in the same way! I
also know a lot more about a part of the world I was very ignorant about before.
Emily Hunka, November 2006
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