Speakers
Description
How can we turn the teachers into active citizens, into catalysators in their local communities, that can use performative arts and the power of creativity and experiential learning to combat xenophobia and to promote respect for human rights? How can we provide them with the necessary resources and tools for the promotion of tolerance, solidarity and peaceful co-existence between the local community and the refugees? As a response to the above questions, “It Could Be Me – It Could Be You” project, as an awareness raising project on human rights and refugee issues, using experiential learning, theatre and educational drama techniques, is implemented since 2015 in Greece, by the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr) in association with and the support of the UN Refugee Agency in Greece. The project is accredited by IDEA-International Drama/Theatre & Education Association and approved as an "IDEA Land and Home" project.
CV
Nikos Govas (Athens, Greece)
is an experienced theatre/drama pedagogue, founder and chair-person of the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network TENet-Gr (1998-2008), founder and chief editor of the “Education & Theatre” Journal (2001-2021) and member of the Editorial Board of the Research in Drama Education Journal (2012-2017). He has written and edited several books and articles on theatre/drama and education. Since 2015 he coordinates the “it could be me – It could be you” project implemented in Greece by TENet-Gr in collaboration with UNHCR Greece.
Giorgos Bekiaris
is a teacher, theatre/drama pedagogue, and theatre scholar. He works with theatre and drama as an act of art and as an act of teaching and participates in the design and implementation of educational drama and forum theatre projects on issues of refugees, xenophobia, racism and school violence. He also facilitates theatre groups of students and teachers. He participates since 2015 as a trainer and consultant in “it could be me – It could be you” project implemented by the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network TENet-Gr in collaboration with UNHCR Greece.
Olga Orphanidou has studied Political Science, Pedagogy, Social Anthropology and Theatre. She has completed postgraduate studies in Gender and New Technologies in Education. She is a member of the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network and a founding member of "Initiative for Article 12" (InArt 12) of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a teacher, she has worked in Primary and Secondary Education, General and Vocational High schools, at Second Chance School, as a Coordinator of Refugee Education as well as in the Therapeutic community of KETHEA Exodos.
Christina Zoniou, PhD,
teaches Acting, Stage Practice and Social Theatre at graduate and postgraduate level as a Tenured Member of the Specialised Teaching Staff of the Department of Theatre Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Peloponnese, since 2005. Her research interests include contemporary approaches in directing, acting and dramaturgy, actors’ training, performing arts in education, applied and community theatre, theatre of the oppressed, documentary theatre, critical intercultural education, action research, and critical ethnography.
Artemisia Papakonstantinopoulou
is a PostDoc Researcher at the Department of Early Childhood Education of School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Thessaly. Her scientific interests are related to resilience and empowerment in the educational field through drama techniques, especially for teachers and students with special needs. She has taken part in research programs, and she has published articles on the above topics in Greek and foreign scientific journals. She is a member of the research team “It Could Be Me – It Could Be You” project.
Kostas Magos
is Associate Professor of Intercultural Education at the Department of Early Childhood Education of School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Thessaly. His scientific interests concern the theory and practice of the intercultural dimension in both formal and informal education. He has taken part in research programs related to intercultural education, has supervised related doctoral theses and projects, while he has published articles on the above topics in Greek and foreign scientific journals.
