News

VALUE PACKAGE! Sign up for the workshop called “Sexuality and our Rights” and your ticket for “The Predator” will be only 12€. See more in News.

EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR USING THE WORKSHOP SPACES! Usually we create workshops on-site at schools and at other establishments. From now on, we’re able to host workshops for teachers and students in the National Library. This opportunity is also recommended for teachers – an excellent chance for you and your colleagues to get together outside your work space and experience something new together. The workshops are excellent for school break periods, seminar days or any other suitable time!

Türi middle school’s 6th graders’ joyous and enthusiastic feedback to our playwriting workshop. The children participated in the stage fighting workshop before seeing The Boys of Paul Street, saw the play and participated in a forum theatre workshop.Mari-Liis Velberg’s post in the Huvitav Kool blog Of the “Magic of Dialogue and Play – Forum Theatre in VAT for over 20 years!”

An article about forum theatre “Why Do We Need Forum Theatre?” It’ll be 20 years in April since the first forum theatre play at the Youth Without Violence festival. We did an interview with Tiina Vapper, a journalist for Õpetajate Leht and had a discussion why youngsters need forum theatre. The article includes comments from Anu Kušvid.Feedback from the brainstorming session. During the celebration held for teachers for Native Language Day, the teachers and us came up with a variety of ideas for workshops, projects and school activities. A short summary can be found here.

Video of the flamenco dance workshop. From December of 2018 until March of 2019 we participated in a collaboration project with Tallinn German Gymnasium. Through the project, all students from 1st until 9th grade were able to experience workshops and shows. Watch the VIDEO of the highlights of the flamenco workshop: :  https://www.facebook.com/teatervat/videos/2008083436154738/

HOW DOES VAT CONTRIBUTE TO EDUCATION?

In addition to experiencing plays, the students have the opportunity to engage in the theatre’s extra educational activities that include additional learning materials, playful workshops and a variety of projects and events. The goal is to transform a simple theatre visit into a full experience with preparation of what to expect, mindful presence at the theatre and feedback. Our aim is to create an environment that promotes awareness of theatre and the play but most of all, awareness of self and the world around us. We offer opportunities to thoroughly dissect the fundamental topics discussed in the play, both before and after the visit. We are starting our 9th year of educational workshops! Various workshops also fit well with each other as follow-up workshops. Don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations for combining the workshops.

PLAYFUL WORKSHOPS INDEPENDENTLY OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PLAY:
Educational workshops before or after a play are related to the topics discussed in the play. However, a workshop can be organised completely separate from the topics of the play. Hosting a workshop at a school doesn’t always have to be in relation with a theatre excursion. Most workshops can be hosted as a completely separate event.
Depending on the contents, workshops can easily be integrated into different contexts like Social Studies class, a class event or any other event at a school, youth centre or any other establishment. Workshops for teachers differ from students’ in their contents and duration. Workshops are hosted based on a previous agreement. Workshops for adults are practical and offer an experience but also can offer an opportunity of learning how to apply the workshop experience to one’s work with children.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS ON OUR WEBSITE:
It is a good idea to prepare students before coming to the theatre, especially with more complex plays. Additionally, it is beneficial to aid them in interpreting what they experienced. That is why we have added the link ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS to most of our plays on our website that directs you to get acquainted with workshop information and additional materials: ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR

INTERPRETING TOPICS DISCUSSED IN PLAYS – are available on the respective websites of the plays and workshops. The goal in creating these materials is to further analyse the essence of the play that would help teachers decide which running play would their students most benefit from. On the top of the page you’ll find useful links, photos of the plays and workshops, videos of the rehearsals or TV segments discussing the play. Additionally, you’ll find articles and student feedback (for both plays and workshops). There is a suggested target group mentioned next to every youth-oriented play, general themes of the play and some suggestions which school subject would benefit from with play.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS – section on our website where you can find helpful materials for discussions, both prior to and post theatre visit. There are additional materials for certain plays, materials for conducting oneself at the theatre, a supporting questionnaire for analysing the play that teachers can use before or after the visit to guide the students to certain aspects of the story. Questionnaire was created by VAT Theatre’s creative director Aare Toikka. There are also summaries from teachers’ meetings advising you on suggestions for creative methods to apply in class prior to and after theatre excursion.EVENTS, PROJECTS, COMPETITIONS – we have created many events, projects and competitions over the years to bring together people from different walks of life. To name only a few, goals for these projects have been: preventing school bullying, creating material for a play in collaboration with youngsters and students, encouraging and aiding young playwrights or discussing the topic of conducting oneself at the theatre. From series of events, one worth mentioning is VAT Extra in the context of which we have read plays, organised themed events and seminars to analyse plays. Additionally, we have regular meetings with teachers, at least twice during the season for National Teacher’s Day and Native Language Day.
For years we have implemented the method of forum theatre in our educational programmes. You can read more on the practice and opportunities of the method from our website under Forum Group.

Wishing you joyful and inspiring collaborations!
Mari-Liis Velberg
Leader of Educational Activities /mariliis@vatteater.ee

FEW OLDER NEWS:
It had been a while since public forum theatre play called National Exam had been played in the Estonian Public Broadcasting Theatre Hall. More info here
Winners of the scene creating competition have been determined! More info here
Mihkel Seeder talks about the scene creating competition VAT, KUS DIALOOG! on air on Terevisioon on Eesti Televisioon (29th of January 2018)
VAT Theatre has been elected to be a partner for the Ministry of Education and Research project Huvitav Kool.
In December, there was a mini-marathon of VAT Theatre workshops hosted by Aruküla Middle School as part of their Tolerance Week. The workshops touched on improv theatre, creative writing, dance movements The Story in Movement and Rhythm and a forum theatre Youths in the Virtual World. The students were given the multi-faceted opportunity to explore improve their way they express care and the goodness of their hearts. Read up on the students’ feedback after The Story in Movement and Rhythm workshop.
Students from Ala Middle School had fun at the improv theatre workshop. More info here.
VAT Theatre created a scene creation competition called VAT, KUS DIALOOG! and had a conversation with Õpetajate Leht about the new competition as well as the long-time work with students and teachers. More info here: The Dialogues of VAT Theatre with students and teachers. Mihkel Seeder discussed the competition on KUKU Radio morning programme (6th of November 2017). Listen to the interview here.
We created the first in-depth supporting material called Sexuality and Media Influences which is meant for teachers to use prior to or after theatre visit seeing the play Are You into Porn? The materials also fit well with workshops calles Media in Our Lives and Sexuality, Identity and Media Influences. The materials are suitable to be used at school to discuss topics of sex. The materials were written by Kristina Birk (Estonian Association of Sexual Health) and Mari-Liis Velberg.
WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS: Sexuality, Identity and Media Influence. Suitable for children over the age of 14 and to participate in after seeing the play Are You into Porn? There are a lot of taboo topics in our society and a lot of ignorance when it comes to sexuality and gender. During the workshop, we discuss questions like: What is sexuality? How does media influence our understanding of sexuality? What are gender roles and gender stereotypes around us and how are they formed inside our heads? How do they influence our lives and choices? The workshop can support the Social Studies topics like gender, identity, sexuality, gender roles and stereotypes from middle school to high school.
VAT Theatre was nominated for the “Friend of Education of the Year” award thanks to their education-supporting activities (leader of educational activities Mari-Liis Velberg). Read more here.
Read Meeli Parijõgi’s article in Õpetajate Leht (21.10.16) An Educational Workshop Can Inspire You for Life.
WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS: The Story in Movement and Rhythm (coordinators Mari-Liis Velberg and Tanel Ruben)
We continue to participate in the international project Project Platform Shift+ where the aim is to create new plays in close dialogue with youngsters. The general focus of the project are young people, technology, the Internet and their correlation. In the context of the project, a writing competition called WEB was held in the spring of 2015 as well as numerous workshops with young students all over Estonia to discover their opinions and stories on the given topics.
In January of 2016, first play of the project, called Web Demon was completed (age group: 14+) brought to you by Elina Reinold, Liis Pokinen, Tanel Saar and Ago Soots. In the spring of 2017, a second play in collaboration with Italian children and youth theatre Elsinor was brought to the viewers. The play is called Mister Green.
In collaboration with Drakadeemia, event series VAT Extra will begin its fourth season. The first meeting will be held on the 2nd of December 2016 and will be titled Rehearsal 2: Catalogue. Within the framework of that meeting, Liis Sein’s play called Catalogue will be presented to the public, directed by Jim Ashilevi.