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In October 2021 Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts and Virginia Tech Publishing announced publication of an open education resource consisting of a collection of full-length recordings of online Playback Theatre performances, and a 55-page explanatory guidebook. The guidebook features a foreword by Playback Theatre co-founder, Jo Salas, in which Jo explains the adaptation to online performances and some of the key concepts, roles, and forms involved in online Playback Theatre. The guidebook contains hyperlinks to specific sections of the archive where a given form or concept can be seen in action. The full resource can be found here: //hdl.handle.net/10919/104420

In recognition of the way that online Playback Theatre has flourished since spring 2020, and in order to raise awareness of this rich resource, Jo’s Foreword is reprinted in full below, with kind permission of the publisher and the authors.

Attribution:

The text below was originally published as part of ‘Storytelling on Screen: An Online Playback Theatre Archive and Guidebook’ by Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts in association with Virginia Tech Publishing on 10 October 2021. Licensed CC BY NC SA. 

Storytelling On Screen, An Online Playback Theatre Archive and Guidebook, Foreword by Jo Salas

Jo Salas is the co-founder, with Jonathan Fox, of Playback Theatre and the founder of Hudson River Playback Theatre in Upstate New York.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, Playback Theatre practitioners and ensembles all over the world were stopped in their tracks, along with most of the rest of society. Suddenly it was not possible to do a performance, to participate in or teach a workshop, to attend a gathering, to travel. We could not even meet with our company members. For some of us, the pandemic meant a significant loss of income as commissioned performances and training workshops were abruptly canceled.

But, as the world struggled to adapt to this new reality and Zoom became part of daily professional and private life, the international Playback community adapted as well. Some groups began meeting for rehearsals online. Some offered virtual performances. Training workshops were reconfigured as Zoom workshops. There were even online gatherings and conferences. Despite all that was lost, we discovered that indeed it was possible to meet in an authentic space online and share stories. We found new ideas in the very constraints we faced. We created artistic new forms. This flowering has continued.

Playback Theatre is a grassroots theatre where a team of improvisors enact audience members’ personal stories on the spot, a seemingly simple practice developed carefully over forty-five years. It depends on the successful creation of an atmosphere of trust, respect, and—paradoxically—adventurousness, in which strangers feel both safe and inspired to take the risk of sharing personal experience in a public or semipublic setting. It is up to the conductor (the onstage facilitator) and the rest of the team to build connection, inclusiveness, trust, and openness on the audience’s part to their own and others’ stories. Most often, Playback takes place in informal community settings with an intimate audience of no more than fifty or sixty, with houselights up so the performing team can see the faces in the audience. The show has a recognizable arc: a ritual that serves to hold and weave together the unpredictable stories themselves.

Our pandemic challenge was to re-create all of this in the flat, distanced universe of Zoom, with performers and audience members each in their own little box on the screen, in their own homes, in their own often far-flung locations. Ensembles learned from their experimentation and from that of others: playbackers were generous in sharing their discoveries with each other. Over time, online Playback Theatre has become a viable form. (Not every group or individual chooses to perform online, preferring instead to wait until in-person performing becomes possible again.)

Storytelling on Screen includes some examples of online Playback Theatre performances that show both the possibilities and the pitfalls of this adaptation. Online performances, training, and gatherings are likely to continue long past the end of the pandemic, now that we know they are possible. The archive’s value will be in supporting practitioners who work online from necessity or choice to fulfill the basic promise of Playback: to deliver a human-scale, authentic, and aesthetic experience of hearing and honoring the stories of our audiences.

Performing online holds several advantages and opportunities, as we’ve discovered. A performance is accessible to anyone, anywhere, as long as they have internet access. This has meant that not only are audiences likely to include people from multiple parts of the world, but the performing team itself may consist of performers currently in five or six countries. As well as existing ensembles offering shows, there have also been many ad hoc performing teams deliberately reflecting worldwide diversity. Some have come together for a single show; others formed ongoing ensembles that exist only online, like World Playback Theatre and Pangea Playback Theatre, whose performances appear in the archive.

This new frontier has been a stimulus to creativity—another plus. Practitioners had to adapt long-familiar forms and to create new ones. In Playback’s oral tradition, where new ideas spread from person to person, people learned from what they saw and then tried it out with their own ensembles. By now there is a growing bank of effective performance forms, a sort of ongoing research and development available to and benefiting everyone. Some discovered that solo or duo enactments work particularly well on Zoom, like the two-person response in the Pangea show with a dancer in one box and a spoken-word artist in the other. The sequential solos of “If It Were a Dream” in the Ume show are another example. Companies learned how important it is for performers to be distinguished from audience members visually—with coordinated clothing and neutral backgrounds—as well as with their unfailingly focused presence.

The essential ritual of Playback Theatre is the necessary container for the stories that will come. How to create a sense of heightened occasion and theatrical arc when the show from start to finish is an unchanging set of squares filled with heads and shoulders? How to launch a show gracefully when you must start off with technical information? In the most effective online shows you see an opening ritual that includes Zoom instructions delivered as lucidly and briefly as possible, followed by performers introducing themselves and Playback with sincerity and an artistry calibrated to work on the screen. You see a conductor who holds the ritual at all times. You see actors and musicians who contribute with rhythm and timing of their enactments and the quality of their presence.

Music’s essential role in building ritual and conveying emotion becomes even more important online—and even more difficult to fulfill. Zoom is not forgiving to weak music that might be acceptable in an informal in-person setting. Music at a high level of competence as well as sensitivity greatly strengthens the impact online.

Performers soon discovered the novel potential of doing Playback in your own home: you can grab a household object to use as a prop or a puppet. You can squat under your kitchen table, peek from behind a plant, step outside onto the deck. Occasionally an actor has made creative use of virtual backgrounds, as in the story set in the mountains of Italy in the World Playback Theatre performance.

Zoom itself offers at least two other tools that can be a positive addition. One is the breakout room, creatively used in the Pangea Playback Theatre show as an analogue to the “audience introductions” in a live show when audience members are invited to talk with one or two others. And there is the chat, an effective means of headlining a story or sharing a feeling (as in the World Playback Theatre show) and for building connection (Pangea’s audience members shared locations through the chat). (The chat is not visible in the recordings.)

Lastly, there were some very pragmatic advantages: the ensemble is not paying rent for a performance space. The show is not subject to cancellation because of weather. Publicity is rarely more than a Facebook announcement. And although internet use has its own environmental cost, no one is burning fossil fuels to attend.

With all the very positive impacts and potentials of this new, unexpected development in our practice, there are also considerable downsides as well. Any seasoned Playback company would prefer to be performing in person, where we can see our audiences both as individuals and as the organism that they are, where we are together in a shared physical environment, where people can easily and informally connect with each other before and after the show, where the ritual of the performance is demarcated by use of space as well as time.

The first great disadvantage is Zoom itself. There is simply no way around the awkwardness of the technical requirements. The best we can do is to manage them with all possible dignity, efficiency, and mindfulness, particularly the unavoidable instructions at the beginning of a performance that, if not expertly dispatched, can derail the all-important opening. It is necessary to have a tech person on hand throughout. Even so, problems are inevitable, from the need to constantly remind a laggardly audience member to turn off her camera, to a performer’s internet connection breaking down mid-show.

The Zoom setting brings with it other difficulties as well: audience members get up and wander; they eat in full view of everyone else; some might remain off camera, creating an uneasy sense of being watched by people you can’t see. These behaviors work against creating the atmosphere that Playback depends on.

The other insuperable problem of online Playback Theatre is the impossibility of shared use of space and physical interaction on the part of the actors. Even non-physical interaction is made difficult by the medium. Actors can’t turn and face each other. The bedrock of theatre is interaction: a story comes to life through the interplay in movement and dialogue of actors embodying characters. What do we have when this is impossible? At best we have beautifully expressive sequences of individual action, responding and relating to each other thematically. At worst we have a jumble of unconnected interpretations, with one form looking very much like another.

The absence of three-dimensional space also makes it harder to establish the arc of the show. In person, the Playback performance begins with a ceremonial, interactive opening followed by a period of warm up where tellers share briefly from the audience and performers respond with short forms. Then, typically following audience members’ introductions to each other, there is a key transition: the conductor invites a teller to the stage to tell a longer story, casting its main characters (to be followed by other similarly longer stories and their enactments). The moment is dramatic and signals a building of intensity and engagement. It is hard to approximate this moment on Zoom, particularly if the conductor does not take care to verbally clarify this change. There is no teller’s chair. There is no liminal space to traverse between the audience and the stage.

The conductor must also conduct a story without physical proximity to a teller who may be vulnerable and emotional. In traditional Playback Theatre we conductors sit beside our tellers, we note how they are doing, we can support them if need be. Our inability to do this on Zoom extends to the whole audience: we simply cannot monitor and respond to emotion as we are used to. It raises ethical questions about our responsibility to maintain safety no matter how the stories may turn and deepen.

One more limitation: the vast majority of online Playback audiences so far (to my knowledge) have been other playbackers. While it is wonderful that our community has been able to connect and care for one other in this way, Playback Theatre is meant for a wider population, not to serve only ourselves. Can we reach out online to others outside the Playback world? Can we do good enough work that they, unfamiliar with Playback, will find it convincing and worthwhile?

By now, a year and a half after the pandemic began, online Playback is a sturdy and growing phenomenon. It is effective to the degree that its practitioners are grounded in the highly developed practices and principles of traditional Playback Theatre. It is these practices and principles that must underlie and guide our work in any context.

My hope is that soon we will be able to reunite with our ensembles and our local audiences—and that online Playback Theatre will also continue to grow and thrive alongside the traditional form.

A note to viewers of the archive: traditional Playback Theatre is notoriously difficult to film. The atmosphere eludes the camera. Online Playback is technically easier: instead of multiple cameras, all you do is press “record.”

But the immediacy is still lost. You, the viewer after the fact, are not part of creating the magic. We must watch online recordings with this in mind.

About the author

Jo Salas is the co-founder of Playback Theatre, a performer and trainer, social activist, and passionate grandmother. She grew up in New Zealand and now lives two hours north of New York City near woods and mountains. Jo has taught Playback Theatre workshops in twenty-seven countries and was a keynote speaker at the academic symposiums on Playback Theatre held at the University of Kassel, Germany, and Arizona State University. Jo’s publications on Playback Theatre include numerous articles, contributions to anthologies, a TEDx talk “Everyone has a story,” and three books: Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre, now published in ten languages, Do My Story, Sing My Song: Music Therapy and Playback Theatre with Troubled Children, and Personal Stories in Public Spaces: Essays on Playback Theatre by Its Founders, co-authored with Jonathan Fox.

Introduction

The Covid times presented many challenges across the world, one of them, being the loss of contact with other people from our community. This situation created a new way for connections within the virtual platform (VP). This platform was not developed until recently because the alternative, of meeting face to face, is and has been far more appealing. But now the reality puts us on a road with two options. The first is to make connections through a VP while the second is to not meet at all. After learning how to use a VP and researching how to apply Playback Theatre forms online, I was happy to share my knowledge during several free workshops to community leaders around the world. Gerry Orkin and I co-wrote a complete guide for Playback Theatre in a VP.  And with Michael Cheng I cooperated in a community meeting on the topic of ethics in virtual performances. These encounters began my journey into developing virtual encounter under the guidance created by the community.

This article represents the next steps in my vision to join playbackers around the world through the VP Zoom. Zoom became the main platform for Playback because it is free, easy to install, easy to learn the basic features and gave the opportunity to make a performance setting. The idea was to create Regional Virtual gatherings (RVG) of playbackers who speak the same language, have comparable cultural backgrounds and share a similar social agenda. This article will serve as a guide on how to organize a RVG.  It’s a step-by-step guide from vision, to the first steps, to the technical details.

In order to base the article on experience, not just an idea, I organized two RVG, one in South America and one in South Asia, working with great partners Helen Marcos from Mexico, Sabrina Francis and Parsapu Suresh Kumar from India and the Gatherings Committees. 

The mission of the RVG is to create a place for learning, meeting, supporting and exchanging ideas. In order to develop this safe space, we created the following principals:

1. Try to include as many playbackers from the community as possible – we did it by making the price affordable (10$ per person for the two days gathering) the price gave a possibility for playbackers from lower socio-economical status that normally can’t afford to come to International gatherings to join and have an international experience. Also, because it is a VP it solves the geographical challenges that exist in big continents like South America and South Asia. Of course, there were people in places without internet or computers that unfortunately could not attend. We had 250 people from 20 different countries from all South America and Spain, in the first gathering, and 120 people in the South Asia gathering that came from four different countries.
2. Supporting the community and giving back – All the income from the gatherings, after minimal expenses go to Playback groups that participated and turned in an application sharing social projects within their community that they as a Playback group would like to get involved in and the gathering gave them the financial support to get started. In this way the fruits of this gathering will resonate after the RVG is over. In addition, by working with other groups of similar regions, we learned how to work with different populations like refugees, children, cancer recovering patients for example. We can enhance and expand our knowledge and at the same time create a space to give this knowledge back within our own communities.
3. Costs for a virtual gathering are minimal – Including everything, we were able to keep the costs under $250 and servicing 250 people! So, 25 participants paid for all the expenses, and after some scholarships, all the money went back to Playback groups in those communities. It is important to mention all the organizers and teachers did the two gatherings as a donation to the community and they also paid the gathering 10$ gathering fee. Of course, you may consider giving some presenters a free entrance and to pay the organizing team from the event income.
4. Creating a local community of people that have similar values and a strong passion for Playback theatre – our goal was to gather everyone online, and to create a space for people to connect during our two-day workshop. What was completely unexpected, yet a wonderful side effect was the friendships that were born and grew from the VG. I have received many warm emails from people around the world sharing that they connected with a new person that they met at the gathering, from far away or nearby, whom they hadn’t had the privilege of meeting prior to the gathering and have now developed new friendships.

How to Gather an Organizing Team

This stage in the process, in my opinion, is a key point in the success of your gathering. Choosing the right partners is extremely important, though not an easy task because the team needs to form the right balance. Below are some points that are important to take in consideration when you choose your organization team.

Small Team – from my experience the organizing team needs to be small, 2-3 persons max. Working with a small team allows for the decision-making process to go smoothly and quickly. Yes, it is more work for each individual within the team, however, it is also easier to divide responsibilities and to delegate. On a separate note, I tried to do another virtual gathering for a different region and decided to explore and experiment with a larger organizing team, and so I invited a couple of individuals from each country represented. We were a larger organizing team. My idea was to give space to more voices and opinions, and respect that each country is unique and different. Though there was a lot of excitement and passion, and we met several times, the process got stuck and eventually stopped. And the gathering never materialized.

Chemistry and Flexibility – When choosing a partner, you need to check that you have the same goals and that the two of you can be flexible enough to give space to the other person’s thoughts, ideas and opinions. Before choosing a partner to work with, it is a very good idea to discuss expectations and make sure that you are both on the same page. Chemistry is also important because you are going to spend many hours together, so it is imperative to feel comfortable with your partner.

Connection to the Playback Community – it was important to make sure that they are individuals well associated and/or know how to reach the participants. Someone who understands the community and can connect with the group leaders in their region. In addition, they should know the culture in the area, so that they can guide you when needed from not falling into holes and traps during this journey. For example, when I talked with Helen Marcos from Mexico, she explained that in South America there is another form of theater very similar to Playback, called Spontaneous Theatre. In the past, these two communities tried to connect and work together, but it was a little complicated.

Gathering Committee: Because in every community and country there are key figures, for example, leaders who brought Playback to that country, and other individuals who are respected and have a strong voice, it is important to collaborate with them and give them the respect that they have earned, and hopefully they will support your gathering. 

Finding the Ideal Date

In order to find the right date for the gathering it is important to check the following things:

1. When people from the community are relatively free, maybe weekends are better for these kinds of events.
2. Try to see that it is not too close to other Playback events.
3. Pay attention to National and local Holidays in different countries because during these periods people are less available and less flexible.

Creating a Logo

Creating a special logo that represents the gathering is a very important visual element which brings the cultural idea of the region:

How We Started

After having the dates, logo, timetable and building the structure of the gathering, it was time to advertise the VG and create registration forms, Workshop offerings, social Project offerings and performance offerings. Links to all of the forms that we had in the South Asian PT gathering are included at the end of the article.

How to Build Every Part of the Timetable

We took into consideration the cultural needs and the capacity of staying online for a long time, and in front of the screen. We gave time to breaks for breathing and absorbing the experiences that the participants had. It is important to take in consideration that is very hard to stay focused for a long period of time in front of the screen so everything needs to be condensed.

First Day:

Opening Ceremony- We gave the Opening Ceremony 30 minutes. We weren’t sure before the gathering, but we now know that it was a very good decision because it obligated us to be effective and efficient. It started with a blessing from the organizers, we took a moment to thank all the Teachers & Helpers, continued with technical explanations about links, workshops, zoom usage, etc. And, concluded with asking and reminding everyone of the importance of respecting the timings because we had a full schedule and people need screen breaks. We also asked the participants to bring costumes and flashlights to the dance party. We continued with a warm up. We did a Follow the Leader activity with music in the background, and we used the Spotlight effect on Zoom to change the leading participants every few seconds while the others participants mirrored the movement. We finished the opening ceremony with a greeting to all and asking them to enter the first workshop link.

First Workshop- The first workshop lasted 1.5 hours. We divided the participant into small groups based on their preferences, so that every workshop would hold between 12- 15 people. Every workshop had a separate zoom account in order to have the possibility to divide into breakout rooms.  It was important to have small groups so that a certain level of intimacy can be developed and felt in this environment during the period of the workshop. We had 9 concurrent workshops by local teachers during this segment.

After the first workshop we gave everyone a 30 minutes break.

Home Groups- Home Group is an ongoing workshop that is facilitated by a senior Practitioner. The idea behind the Home Group is for participants to go through a deep process in a specific topic, while at the same time, create a space for sharing experiences and feelings from the different parts of the gathering. The Home Group got 2 hours on the first day and 2 hours on the second day. The Home Group is attended by the same participants and led by the same facilitator on both days. We chose for the Home Groups the most experienced teachers from each country. The idea behind this choice was to give place for participants to also connect with others and have a free space where they could open up and share and process moments from the gathering.

We gave a 30 minutes break after the Home Group.

Performance- Taking into consideration that we would not need to explain what Playback Theatre to the participants is, and that the audience will come to the performance after a long warm up, we decided that a solid hour was the right amount of time. During this part we offered 3 performances at the same time.  Again, participants got to choose which performance to attend. After the performances we moved straight onto the dance party without a break. We figured that people could take a break if they needed, and at the same time we wanted participants moving into something active right away.

Dance Party- Our dance party lasted one hour. You can find a DJ playlist we used in www.mixcloud.com. People came with costumes, flashlights and used different fun backgrounds. From time to time, I used the Spotlight effect in Zoom that changes the focus onto different participants. In this way the people that were with nice costumes or those who danced in a happy way could get the spotlight. And in that way, there was positive energy for everyone!

Debrief- At the end of the first day we had a meeting with the helpers and the organizing team to talk about the second day and discuss any glitches etc. that had come up.

Second day:

Pre-recorded Interview with Jo Salas & Jonathan Fox- I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart Jo Salas & Jonathan Fox for this open and emotional interview that was made for the gathering participants. The questions were submitted by participants of the gathering, collected before the interview, and the vision behind this interview is that it will be available to anyone holding an online gathering and would like to share it with their participants.ⁱⁱ

We gave this first part 30 minutes for watching the pre-recorded Interview with Jo Salas & Jonathan Fox, (to which we added Spanish subtitles for the gathering in South America), followed by 15 minutes for small group conversations in breakout rooms of 5 people, and finally during the last 15 minutes, one participant from each breakout room shared in a few sentences what came up and was discussed in their small group.

Second Workshop- For the second workshop we invited international teachers. We had 5 teachers and therefore the groups had to be bigger. We dedicated 1.5 hours for the second workshop, and made sure that none of the workshops had more than 22 people. Creating an intimate environment during the workshops gives the participants a feeling of really being part of the workshop, especially since we are really so far away from each other. In the South American gathering we had a lot of workshops offered by different teachers, so we offered workshops by local teachers only.

Participants had a 30 minute break after the workshop.

Home Groups- During the Home Groups, as mentioned earlier, the participants and facilitators were the same during both two hour meetings.  In this way groups of people got to know each other better and had a chance to get to know other participants in a more intimate setting. The theme of the Home Groups was the same as main theme of the gathering, while at the same time it was open to a lot of variability and flexibility.

We gave a 30 minute break after the Home Group

Performance- Again, for this performance we dedicated a 1-hour block, taking into consideration there is no need to explain what is PT and in addition the audience has come after a long warm up. Therefore, again, we are able to save time and skip the long introduction and warm up. We again offered 3 wonderful, simultaneous performances by local Playback groups from the same region.

We didn’t give a break after the performance because we wanted the participant to go directly to the closing part of the gathering and not to disconnect or finish their day early.

Closing- We gave 30 minutes for the closing part of the gathering. We started by thanking the Teachers, helpers, organizers and participants. We asked each participant to get a piece of paper and a marker.  We gave the participants 5 minutes for this part. Their task was to paint, draw or write what their feelings were about the gathering and what they were taking from it and adding into their lives. After 5 minutes, we put on some gentle music that gave a feeling of hope. We asked the participants to put their art, drawings, words, phrases, in front of the camera.

I used the Spotlight effect in Zoom to change the focus on different drawings every few seconds. Until everyone got a chance to share their feelings on screen. It was very emotional and a perfect artistic closing to the gathering.

Attached are two sample summaries that can give you the idea on how to build them.

Technicalities

The 2 or 3 organizers will be in charge of the technical parts before and during the whole gathering, including troubleshooting any problem that may be presented or brought up by the helpers and group leaders. Organizers can move from workshop to workshop with their video off to check that everything is working out well and that things are progressing smoothly. And in addition to assist in any problem or concern that might come up or question. In addition, all the group leaders and helpers had the organizers phone numbers, and they had access to us if at anytime a problem came up. The more possibilities for communication, the higher the success.

Managing the Zoom Links for each event

So, we are now moving into the more technical details of the conference. Don’t worry it’s really not too complicated!

First purchase Pro zoom accounts, as mentioned above Zoom is the most comfortable platform.  You need to get Pro zoom accounts equal to the highest number of workshops. For example, in the South Asian PT gathering we had 9 parallel workshops on one day and 5 on the second day. 

However, we needed to purchase 9 Pro accounts for one month. (It is also possible to use Pro Zoom accounts of playbackers who are comfortable sharing their account).

Main Room Pro-account:

If you have more than 100 people, including the conductors and volunteers, then you need to extend one of your Pro-Accounts for more than 100 people. The price of an expansion is under $50. This was the main host account for the Opening, Dance party, Interview and closure. You can use the same account for one of the workshops and Home Groups.

After purchasing all the accounts, you designate each account for different workshops on each day, for specific Home Groups, for performances etc. and then send the designated links to each participant. Google forms can be transformed into excel or another spreadsheet, and in that way the information becomes easily accessible. In addition, then you sort the excel by workshops and then just copy paste onto participants email addresses. Same thing can be done for Home Groups and performances. 

Emailing participants

You can copy all the email addresses of the participants that are in a particular workshop and send all of them, at once, one email with the workshop name and the assigned link. And then repeat. And repeat, and you are done! Just remember to BCC (blind carbon copy) everyone (to keep participants’ personal information private). 

In order to avoid confusion and to keep it simple, we decided to send in advance just the first day links. So, each participant received in advance 5 separate emails. Each one had a specific subject title and included the link for that specific event. For example:

1. Link for Opening Ceremony
2. Link for the first workshop (name of the workshop)
3. Link for the Home Group (name of the Home Group)
4. Link for the Performance (name of the performance)
5. Link for the dance party

The emails with the links for the second day were sent at the end of the first day.

It is possible to send the participants all the links in one email, but it takes more work to coordinate, and it might create confusion. From our experience the system of 5 emails worked very well even with people who didn’t have any virtual experience.  

Volunteers

The helpers are a very important part of the success of the gathering. It is important to choose a group of very responsible people and have at least one or two meetings before the gathering. During these meetings we bonded and developed a level of comfort so that the helpers felt very comfortable asking for anything during the gathering. In addition, we used the time to teach them the technicalities of zoom and our congress, timeline and expectations, troubleshooting tips, gave them their specific job descriptions, and answered any questions they may have had. For each workshop and for performance there was a helper who was there to support the conductor.

Please find below the task list for the volunteers in the gathering

//docs.google.com/document/d/1ZuRmAof70b7ckQiVX2vgBC6xZJVBymqiFnvCZgTfw4Q/edit

Conductors’ Pre-Meeting

We held a conductor meeting a few days before the gathering in order to connect, share our excitement, bond and develop a connection. We wanted to make sure our conductors felt supported and knew we were always available and in that way they could also support each other and the gathering with passion and enthusiasm. We used the time to explain our goals, the specific timeline we are following, volunteers, technical issues and ensuring any questions are answered. This meeting was very helpful for us as organizers and the conductors felt part of the team. It gave everyone a big picture of the event and the leaders also felt involved and invested in it. By doing this they were better able to support the participants during the gathering.

Evaluation

It’s important to send a feedback form in order to learn from the experience of the participants, teachers and volunteers.

Conclusions

Doing Playback online has become a reality and I believe that it’s something that will continue after the pandemic is over, especially in big countries and continents and also in low socio-economic regions.  We are all awaiting live international gatherings to come back soon one day, and they will. However, they weren’t accessible to everyone in the past and they will continue to not be accessible to everyone in the future for many reasons. Some people with less financial resources aren’t able to participate, sometimes because the distances are too great, other times people have personal responsibilities and can’t take the time to travel and even due to limitations in number of participants at a conference.

So even when we start again to travel internationally and meet in person for Playback congresses, there is a space for Online Virtual Gatherings. In my vision every live congress could have a virtual counterpart, where participants unable to attend have an opportunity to participate, have a chance to be part of something wonderful.

Conductors and teachers who give a live workshop can also offer the workshop online. Or some teachers teach in person while others teach online.

Going online opens up a number of issues but I believe that by thinking through the ethical considerations we can find the right balance (for example in relation to privacy and confidentiality).   

It is important to acknowledge the challenges and obstacles on the way. Like technical issues (that I hope this article will help you overcome), challenges with people that do not trust that it is time for this kind of gathering, challenges with community leaders that want to have more influence in the content. It is important to remember that you cannot make everybody happy, and the sad reality is that you may have to step on some toes on the way. But, I believe that if you have the big picture and a mission in front of you, good things will happen, and the important thing is to look forward and not let these obstacles overwhelm.      

I believe that online gatherings will be part of the landscape in our community in the future especially for big continents like South Asia and South America, for the reasons mentioned earlier in this article. After exploring and understanding that is possible to do Playback online and to host meaningful and successful online gatherings, these give a fair opportunity for some to meet, to listen to stories and to do playback, especially for the people who don’t have the financial resources. So, the online component is here to stay, side by side with the live gatherings.

In this article I present a structure for building a Regional Virtual Group I hope this information will help a lot of visionaries, like me, and you, to build your regional communities. I hope you find within this writing the support you need to bring to life a virtual online gathering.

This tool can be used for groups of similar social and cultural objectives and help communities become closer and stronger and happier. It can also be used for gatherings of groups from different cultures who want to work together and learn from each other. And in addition, it can be used to discuss difficult topics within communities who are struggling and need a safe space to communicate.

My goal is that this article will serve as a toolkit and a checklist that will enable visionaries to create virtual gatherings of all different topics and subjects. In addition, during real life gatherings in the future, I hope that this tool will be used to support a parallel online gathering.

References

ⁱ //iptn.info/ethics-of-online-playback-theatre-performances/

ⁱⁱ If you are holding an Online Virtual Gathering and would like to share the interview of Jo Salas and Jonathan Fox, please email me nirchu@gmail.com and I will send you the interview.

Supporting Documentation

Registration form:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/1PtzZE0owgIICWQi00nO8nUMxAMG1gEpmE0lt3iFXlXk/edit

Workshop Offering:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/1Cp43RCj8cikTPlwFRl3BS_JMKNl6IhjC_TNO88g_CSY/edit

Performance Offering:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/17Ym3vN24F3f8mSyoWIknYwCnfJlKWGMGLOcGrqvUVQ/edit

Home Group Offering:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/1_w4T4I_bQEhfMtjLENJ1_ZouXKYkXBwcyn09KRn8pfc/edit

Social Project Offering:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/1f0OsINbfJ2eGcTU3OEk8cnpff_XevK_GFigZDj1_Dn8/edit

Summary of workshops Day 1:

//docs.google.com/document/d/1ZXcVKoVM9Fvey0tFhxZE4G4rNgHOxCBH6EuGYyH1UM/edit

Summary of performances Day 1:

//docs.google.com/document/d/1lpmTPviRw5wetIlHI9kE0DscHIO4_rwf7L9XHM-j9JU/edit

With the Summaries you send a form of the Workshops, Home Group & Performance Selection. Attached is a sample form:

//docs.google.com/forms/d/1eZz1Zw5h4glm4clC4VXw4H7JwPrypFewuNb6EGkSnm4/edit

About the author

Nir Raz is an artistic director, group conductor, stage artist and entrepreneur. He teaches worldwide Playback Theatre, theatrical work with groups and medical clowning. Nir has published several books and articles about theatre and group dynamics. Co-Founder and director of the Israeli Institute of Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre. A medical clown at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center. Nir’s artistic journey started as an actor and storyteller because he believes that people can deeply engage and connect through stories. In Playback Theatre he found a tool that allows for individuals, communities and even strangers to build bridges and communicate. His passion is meeting and interacting with people!

Editors’ note:

In her footnote to the updated version of the Code of Ethics, Jo Salas states:

 “The first version of Code of Ethics was completed in November 2012, as part of building the Centre for Playback Theatre’s Accreditation process for Trainers. This version was then adapted in March 2020 to include all practitioners, with a vision of mindful and intentional ethical considerations in our Playback community.”

As you know, March 2020 was also the start of the global coronavirus pandemic. We therefore wanted to take the opportunity to re-promote the latest version by including it in our first issue.

Elsa Maurício Childs was inspired to write about the Code as the result of an invitation by Will C and Playback in the Port (PITP) to participate in an online panel to reflect on the Code of Ethics, for the first edition of PITP’s ‘Playback Discussions’ in August of 2021. The theme for that event was ‘Is the Code of Ethics Ethical?’

We encourage you to read Elsa’s article as a companion piece to the statement below.

Radhika Jain and Steve Nash (eds)

Code of Ethics– For Playback Theatre Trainers and Practitioners

Using our Code of Ethics, ethically

The Code of Ethics was written by a team of people – Anna Chesner, Jen Kristel, Veronica Needa, and myself – who developed the accreditation program starting in 2011. We based it on the much briefer code that the Centre had been using in PT Leadership, with reference to codes of ethics used by comparable organizations, including the Israel Playback Theatre Network. Accredited Playback Theatre Trainers are asked to explicitly adopt this code, and the Centre now suggests that all of us, accredited or not, use the Code to guide our practice.

As a founder of Playback Theatre, I’m glad to see the Code used more widely. We are a peer-led community: there is no official body that has power or control over our work. It is up to each of us to ensure that what we do as individuals and groups remains ethical.

Although the Code of Ethics is primarily a guide for a practitioner’s or group’s own practice, it also gives a basis on which we can maintain ethical practice in our community. As we take on this shared responsibility, let’s do so with wisdom and kindness. Making accusations and counter-accusations is all too easy. Instead, we can be mindful of creating what the veteran African American activist Loretta Ross calls a “call-in” culture rather than a “call-out” culture^[i]. “Calling out”, even when justified, can be harsh and counter-productive. “Calling in” is done in a loving and tactful spirit, without shaming.

Let’s use the Code of Ethics to ensure that our work, our communications, and our collegial relationships are always safe and respectful.

Jo Salas, APTT Co-founder of Playback Theatre

Code of Ethics

For Playback Theatre Trainers and Practitioners

As practitioners and trainers of Playback Theatre, we agree to uphold the following Code of Ethics:

Respect:

We interact with our audiences, students, tellers, company members, and colleagues with respect at all times. We acknowledge and affirm the integrity of the other party and behave in a way that does not seek to undermine or shame the other. We understand and respect the rituals, traditions, principles, and practices of Playback Theatre, and undertake to acquire that knowledge.

Inclusiveness:

We are open to any story and also ready engage with ethical complexities within a story. We seek to include voices that are often unheard in our communities.

Emergence:

We allow the events of a performance to emerge out of the moment, without being pre-set or manipulated. Stories or tellers are not chosen prior to the show (unless in exceptional situations, which should be transparent.)

Competence:

We commit to ensuring that we have sufficient training and supervision for any Playback Theatre project that we undertake, acquiring further training as needed. We commit to practicing and/or teaching Playback Theatre at the level of our competence and not beyond.

Human rights:

We promote the human rights of all those present and not present. When necessary, we take appropriate action to address prejudice that may be expressed consciously or unconsciously by a teller or workshop participant.

Collegial relationships:

We strive to maintain respectful, cooperative, and supportive relationships within the Playback Theatre community. We respect boundaries between companies and undertake to be transparent with our colleagues, particularly in areas which may have financial or professional impact, including in relation to financial supporters. We respect each other’s proprietary material including company names, publicity materials, and project descriptions. When companies, training entities, or trainers are in geographical proximity they need to negotiate and respect regional agreements.

Privacy and confidentiality:

We acknowledge that stories told in a performance are not subject to confidentiality. However, we undertake to repeat or write about stories only in a respectful and discreet way.

For trainers of Playback Theatre:

Ethics topics in training:

As trainers, we commit to developing self-awareness and awareness in our students of ethical issues in Playback Theatre.

Supervision:

As trainers, we commit to an adequate level of supervision.

References

^[i] Ross, Loretta, I’m a Black Feminist. I Think Call-Out Culture Is Toxic. New York Times Opinion August 17 2019

My first contact with the Code of Ethics was in my initial Playback training, in the beginning of 2017, by the hand of José Marques. It was the 2012 version of the Code, in a Portuguese translation, which, in relation to the 2020 version that we all know, did not have the reference to committing to only practicing Playback at the level of our competence and the whole paragraph on Collegial Relationships, which was a part of the original English text^[1]. The 2020 version also includes a fundamental preface which, in itself, raises productive questions for discussing the topic, the main part of which is suggested by the words that introduce the preamble to the Code: “Using our Code of Ethics, ethically”.

Once a Code of Ethics becomes a finished document, it becomes a tool, and tools are not intrinsically ethical or unethical. They are merely instruments that help guide us toward ethical behavior, that is, behavior that is in keeping with a good conduct or system of moral values, defined in this Code as those inherent to the concept of Human Rights. But like all tools, the Code can be used ethically or unethically. Thus the need to preempt the document with this seeming tautology – “Using our Code of Ethics, ethically” – which seems to reveal this a priori (and correct) assumption that the Code of Ethics is not inherently ethical, is not ethical by itself, without the choices performed by the subjects who use it.

One of the characteristics of ethical behavior should be its incorporation of critical reflection. The Code of Ethics should embody this in the first instance. Documents that are set to guide future actions and not just present actions should be recursive, that is, one should be able to step outside the document without ever stepping outside the spirit of the document. The document itself cannot and should not be taken as the last word on matters of ethical behavior. It is a map towards ethical behavior, but also one that allows us to keep drawing this same map as new terrain emerges.

The subtitle “Using the Code of Ethics, ethically” points to a self-reflective, critical perspective on the ethical nature of the Code – embedded in the Code itself.

Any Code of Ethics is also, inherently, a political gesture, in the sense that it mediates decision-making processes within the community of individuals that is supposed to uphold it. Inherent to the nature of any Code of Ethics is also, then, the notion that it involves a relationship between an I, a subject, an individual, and another subject, an other. In the case of Playback in particular, which is defined at its core by the representation of otherness, as  we are acting out the stories told by others, so the whole question of the relationship to otherness becomes absolutely central, whoever this other may refer to, with all the implied diversity that this entails. At the same time, as Will C points to in his interview with Noa Leibu for her podcast Playback Theatre Talks^[i], while telling the story of a culturally diverse audience being driven to tears by a performer’s gesture, Playback Theatre aims at finding what I call emotional universals, metaphors that may tell us all, at the same time as it retells the individual stories of beings necessarily diverse from those who enact them. Given the fact that Playback does this through improvisation, through emergent communication, without a pre-analyzed or pre-approved script, the possibility of miscommunication with the other should be a major concern for our community and, thus, for our Code of Ethics as it tries to guide us into choosing to act ethically. And especially in a moment in the history of the world where multi-cultural encounters seem to have become the norm of our Playback practice.

Here I want to quote what Will C said in an interview with Anisha Pucadyil and Laxmi Priya for the Improv Boost^[ii], when he underlined that we “have to actually seek out difference aggressively and incorporate that into our design”. This reminded me of Audre Lorde’s essay, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”^[iii], when she says “difference must be not merely tolerated, but seen as a fund of necessary polarities between which our creativity can spark like a dialectic. Only then does the necessity for interdependency become unthreatening… Community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist” (110-111). Thus the necessary presence of the clauses on Inclusiveness and Human Rights in the Code of Ethics, which, to me, are the most important ones, even if further and deeper elaboration on these issues within the Code is clearly warranted, given their centrality for the work we do in Playback. Thus also, I am guessing, the brief reference to the need to “act in a way that does not seek to undermine or shame the other” in the first clause of the Code on Respect^[2].

I would also quote Nick Rowe on the centrality of the relationship with otherness in Playback, in his chapter “The Ethical Limitations of Playback Performance”^[iv], whose reading I highly recommend. With the help of literary critics and philosophers, from Terry Eagleton to Lévinàs, and the work of other playbackers, Nick Rowe underlines that “the question of ethics concerns the face-to-face ‘disposition’ toward the other”, that “[e]thics concerns how we are ‘disposed’ to the other, not a ‘position’ which is closed and non-relational”, since “a sustained awareness of the irreducible otherness of the other … [i]s an attitude essential in playback performance” (151 and 156).

As it stands, the Code of Ethics does not sufficiently emphasise the absolute centrality of the other in the ethical choices we make when we do Playback. Instead of expanding on the centrality of diversity by including further considerations on this topic it all too quickly jumps to secondary questions on training and competence. Examples would be:

• the necessity for us to acknowledge one’s own privilege in terms of gender, race, culture, language, age, sexual orientation;
• the need to help create brave spaces for risk taking while being mindful that risks may be more consequential for some than for others;
• the need for constant self-education, beyond Playback, on questions of multicultural communication, political and economic history, social structures, identity politics and power relations.

This seems to me to be the way to mitigate the inevitability of our own blind spots when it comes to interacting with others – as human beings in general, and also as trainers, conductors, leaders and performers with the utmost responsibility of respectfully telling as the other.    

References

^[i] //open.spotify.com/episode/1WRrtfpsUIQHplYKLY83D5?si=A7Eg8H6tRPu0qaKagBeBsg

^[ii] //fb.watch/aVgK1JJh3w/

^[iii] Lorde, Audre. “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”. 1984. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press. 110- 114. 2007. Print.

^[iv] Rowe, Nick. Playing the Other: Dramatizing Personal Narratives in Playback Theatre. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley. 2007. Print.

Notes

^[1] For those interested in digging deeper into this matter, I would recommend a consideration of the history itself of the creation and re-creation of the Code of Ethics, as it evolved from Jonathan Fox’s original brief statement on this matter, to its first existence as a full document developed by a CPT committee, in the context of the
accreditation program, after which it started being more generally considered as a set of guiding principles to the Playback community at large, and, finally, to the 2020 and current version of the Code. This revision came in the aftermath of the 2019 Conference, where the Code was evoked to address certain ethically problematic situations, giving rise to a long discussion on the question of the Code of Ethics between the CPT and the IPTN on whether the latter should formally adopt the code or not. I would like to thank Jo Salas for discussing the history of the Code with me and the importance of retracing it when addressing the text.

^[2] It is noteworthy that this is the only clause of the Code quoted as reference in the document on the Ethics of Online Playback Theatre – although it is recognised that this is very much a work in progress. 

About the author

Elsa has been practicing Playback since 2017, completing the first two levels of training with the Iberian School of Playback Theatre, with which she cooperates regularly as a performer, and advanced practice training with Jo Salas. In 2018, Elsa founded her own Playback company, InVerso, made up of professional actors. She is also a founding member, performer and trainer with Projecto Eco and part of the international online Playback group Perspektives. Elsa has done multiple in-person and online Playback Theatre workshops and training with some of the most experienced playbackers in the world. She tries to bring poetry, dance and a deep aesthetic awareness to her practice. Elsa also works as an actor, an assistant stage director, a producer and a writer in non-Playback theatre. She is one of the founding members of A Corda, a non-profit cultural association that creates multi-disciplinary works crossing Theatre, Music and Literature, and one of the founders of the feminist group Eufémias, who created the Eufémia Festival: Women,Theatre and Identities.

Preparing the bid 

Context: Playback Theatre is less than 25 years old in India. Over the years, as Playback Theatre steadily grew in India, news of the various IPTN Conferences would reach us through IPTN journals and also through the sharing of a few Indian Playbackers who were lucky enough to get a scholarship to attend these Conferences, held on other continents. The allure of the immense learning that these Conferences provided and the ability to network with Playbackers from around the world was irresistible. 

In 2017 February I took on the role of India & South Asian Representative of IPTN. It was around the same time that IPTN had announced bids to host the 2019 Conference. The deadline was 31 March. Being the regional representative gave me the confidence that I could go ahead without going through what could have been a cumbersome process, for various reasons, of consensus building among the Playback leaders in India. So, I decided to move forward single-handedly and conveyed the same to IPTN.

With regards to volunteers, I have always had the support of a large community in my theatre group – The Actors Collective. I was sure that support was never going to be an issue. We had enough and more volunteers to support the event. It also helped that the team comprised members of diverse ages and backgrounds who provided a much-needed perspective when required.

Scouting for a location: I have lived my entire life in Bengaluru. It was the erstwhile garden city of India, now the Silicon city of India. It also has the most pleasant weather in India. There was no doubt in my mind that while bidding, the event needed to be hosted in this city. Here is where I felt most confident about. I had support here. Doing it in another city would be very difficult for me. So along with a few of my group members we scouted the city for a hotel that would provide accommodation for about 500 delegates and also the space for various workshops to be held simultaneously. This was about 20 large rooms for workshops and Conference needs. We visited the biggest hotels in the city, and we discovered that they did not have the necessary infrastructure to host an event of this magnitude. It was very disappointing. 

Once we had exhausted searching for locations in the heart of the city, we started looking for space around the Bengaluru airport. The airport is situated about 30-40 kms away from the city. We would be able to make ends meet, but the distance from the city was a dampener. Delegates would be cooped up far away from the sights and smells of Bengaluru. The idea was not appealing, and we were at our wits end. 

Another idea that emerged was to have the Conference around the metro line. To use the efficient metro system that the city had and to locate multiple venues in hotels and spaces in and around the metro line. It would have required extensive orientation for the delegates about the metro lines in the city. That idea was nixed as it was felt that it could prove too cumbersome and very uncomfortable for delegates during peak traffic times to ride the metro. 

Two cities and a train: I had a dream of hosting the event in my native state Kerala. In a discussion with a dear friend, a French expat staying in Bengaluru, a suggestion emerged of an option to host the event in both places – Bengaluru and Kerala. The idea occurred to host the first two days in and then for all delegates to travel by a day train, lasting 8 hours, to Kochi, to spend the last two days there. The train would become a symbol of a shared experience of multiple conversations, journeying together and spending great quality time with each other. I believed that all the Conference objectives to get people together would be achieved by this master stroke. 

Along with a team member, I visited the Railways office and got information that it was possible to hire a train with our own dedicated stops, pantry et al. The costs for this were manageable as well and so the idea was beginning to take shape. But we still needed a good venue in Bengaluru, in the absence of which the idea was a non-starter

This was around the time that I visited Fr. Biju at Christ University to discuss something else. At the end of the meeting, in passing, I happened to mention about bidding for this Conference and how I was struggling to find a venue in Bengaluru. His eyes lit up and he immediately shared, ‘we can host it here so please bid for it!’ I felt a sudden surge in energy and was thrilled to hear the news. Christ University had the infrastructure we were looking for. 

While creating the bid, I felt we must give three options for the consideration of IPTN. Option 1 was hosting it in Bengaluru itself, at Christ University. This ensured we would have four full days for the Conference and one day to acclimatize. It seemed a very safe option. Option 2 was the two cities with a dream train journey idea. This was also doable. Option 3 was to do the event entirely in Kochi. This was a tough option for us, but it gave us access to some of the most beautiful places in the world. 

Armed with these three options, we sent our bid with a prayer and patiently waited for the IPTN board to decide.

Winning the bid

As I got to understand from Brian Tasker (then Board member of IPTN), Russia and the Philippines were the two other bidders. He mentioned that couple of things worked in Bengaluru’s favour. One was its geographical location with easy accessibility to many in India as well as to those from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal; places where Playback Theatre was established and whose people’s access to the wider world can be restricted. Also, the Indian visas were easier to procure than visas in the western world, the conference in Montreal being a case in point as many were denied the visa.

‘WE GOT IT!!!’ three words that woke up 100 odd members of a WhatsApp group at midnight. We had conquered the world. A two-decade dream was bearing fruit for me, personally. Nothing could get better than this! There was intense celebration and jubilation. Bengaluru had just won the bid to host the 10th IPTN Conference. Our dream had just come true. It was a very intense feeling. The victory was even sweeter when we got to know that we had outbid two others for the Conference. We had won round 1 and the journey now lay ahead of us. I knew that I had to handpick my team with care. This was not a short burst, but a marathon that we were talking about. Temperament, focus, passion, involvement, sincerity and consistency were traits I was looking for in my team of volunteers. Everything else was secondary. 

Preparation starts

Our communication with IPTN was through Emails and Skype calls. Our first Skype call with the IPTN Board happened on 17 May 2017. A small core team of volunteers and I interacted with the board. The first meeting was more about getting to know each other and setting the ball rolling. We met Brian Tasker and Christian Faber – two outstanding gentlemen who would be on this journey with us representing IPTN. While we had a large team of about 30 volunteers and more, waiting in anticipation, we felt that to facilitate quick decisions we would require a small core team. Sunil Vijendra and I, along with Brian and Christian became this core team. 

IPTN offered us a loan advance of 5,000USD for initial expenses, but we did not accept it. In the interest of financial transparency, we agreed that it was better that all payments (incoming and outgoing) were routed through Christ University. The University had a very robust audit system like most reputed institutions, and we were keen to leverage it. From an auditing perspective this was a sound move and would help us in the efficient running of the Conference and at the same time, help us track every penny.   

Gender representation: I was hoping that a woman representative/s from my group would join this core team, however the responsible and capable women that I had in mind, did not have the time or space to meet the demanding nature of being a core group member. At that time, the more mature & capable Playbackers were in their early 20’s. Others were fairly new or not active. For this age demographic, planning for something for two years was simply incomprehensible. They were unsure of their own life plans in the next 3-6 months and did not want to be tied down to Bengaluru for this event. Likewise, Brian and Christian tried to get a woman Board member from IPTN to join us, but that search also did not bear fruit. We started off as four men in the core group and continued that way right till the end of the Conference. Although, eventually, my team of volunteers consisted of 8 women and 7 men. 

The Bengaluru option: The IPTN board settled for the option to have the Conference entirely in Bengaluru. Although the two-city option with a train journey in between was very exciting, the only reason for not pursuing that idea was that a large number of delegates were in the age group of 55 years and above. It was felt that from a health perspective and keeping in mind the demographic of the delegates, it would be safer to have the event in Bengaluru alone.  In addition, Christ University as a venue was perfect for the Conference. It was easily accessible as it was located in the heart of the city. The airport was an hour away and accessible through dedicated airport buses and taxis. Christ University was a fairly large campus with a great tree cover and the sounds of the streets were fairly muffled within the campus. The security was great, and outsiders had minimal access. There was also the option of providing great accommodation within the campus for about 200 delegates. All of this made the Bengaluru option the most feasible one. 

Finalizing the Conference dates in December: We zeroed in on early December 2019 for the Conference. This was keeping in mind that the weather was most pleasant in Bengaluru at that time. It was neither too hot nor too cold. Moreover, it was before the Christmas holidays so if people wanted to make a holiday of it, the opportunity presented itself naturally. We hoped that this would encourage more delegates to visit India and travel quite a bit.

Celebrating diversity, encouraging diversity: While bidding for the Conference, we came up with the theme Celebrating diversity. In our preparatory discussions, Brian suggested that we add Encouraging diversity to it. His reasoning was that it was not enough just to celebrate but to include the mindset of ‘encouraging’ which was a step ahead from merely acknowledging or celebrating. Our positioning of this theme was also in relation to India which was a perfect example for this theme. A melting pot of cultures. Multiple ethnic groups living with great harmony for thousands of years. A complex ecosystem of myriad languages, cuisines, cultures within one nation. The diversity was mind boggling. So, it was natural that the theme of the Conference should reflect the essence of the land. 

Learnings from previous Conferences: Over the years, in different Conferences the aspect of conflict has reared its ugly head upsetting the flow and ‘hijacking’ the course of the Conference. It has left delegates divided and disturbed. Whether in Frankfurt or in Montreal it has never been addressed for what it is. International politics has consistently invaded Conference spaces, dividing delegates over issues beyond the purview of Playback Theatre and certainly not in the hands of the Conference organizers.  Interestingly, over the years, while these events have had a stranglehold on the respective Conferences no one has been able to address them either way and usually these issues ended up being brushed under the carpet. In hindsight, people remembered the Conference for these things and not what a Conference organising committee had painfully tried to present. As an Organizing team, we wanted to make a difference to this narrative. Our approach was simple and direct. We had the responsibility to ensure that all stakeholders’ trust in us was validated. We wanted a healthy Conference where the focus was exclusively on Playback Theatre. The theme – Celebrating diversity, encouraging diversity; was exactly suited for this purpose. All voices were equally important for us. We would encourage different voices in a supportive and healthy manner. We would take all steps to ensure that we don’t shy away from challenges but face it. It was time for IPTN and the Conference organizing team to take back the narrative. 

Using the expertise of Armand Volkas in this regard was a master stroke. Armand, who is the Director of The Living Arts Counseling Center in U.S.A uses action methods for social change, intercultural conflict transformation and intercultural communication. His contribution in mitigating conflict, we felt, would be the balm that the Conference needed. We factored in pre-Conference workshops with him and his group – Living Arts Playback Theatre, a presentation on stage as a part of the inauguration function as well as workshops within the Conference itself.  

The planning phase

Organizing the details of the programme schedule: We decided that the event would be spread over 5 days from 4-8 December with an inauguration ceremony on the 4th evening. This would be followed by performance by The Actors Collective – the host group.

 We arranged the schedule such that each day would start with an outdoor warmup activity, followed by Home group sessions in the first half and different workshops in the second half. We retained the idea of the Home group from previous conferences as it would help delegates to work consistently with set groups. The evenings were to be dedicated to performances from various groups.

Conference Party: The idea of a conference party, a highlight of all conferences, was discussed. But owing to restrictions at the venue, around time and alcohol permits, we decided to forgo the idea of a party from western perspective. Instead, we planned on using that time in the late evening to be a celebration of Indian culture, art and food supporting the local customs.

Sight-seeing options in and around Bangalore: To enhance the overall experience, we planned to encourage delegates take in the sights of the city and other places close by. We wanted to be able to give delegates information that they could use and so planned to share information on the internet through the Conference’s Website, Instagram and Facebook accounts. We also tied up with two local tour operators for this purpose. 

Translation: With such a diverse community, the need for translators is a huge need when organizing a Conference of this nature. When we explored locally, we found that translators charged a premium in Bangalore. We opted to approach this issue more creatively. We decided that the translators could be within the delegate community and in the respective homegroups, each homegroup leader along with their respective groups could identify potential volunteer translators who could do the needful. 

Memorandum of Understanding: At the planning stage, we drafted a three-party MoU document – between Christ University, The Actors Collective and IPTN – that would lay out the roles, expectations, and act as an overall guide.

Pricing the conference

Brainstorming on costs: We had lots of brainstorming on the topic of pricing for the Conference. When we listed down, the major portion of the expense was towards the venue and food.  

The Christ University as venue: After deliberation when the IPTN board decided Bangalore as the venue, the Finance team volunteers met the Christ University Finance team to understand additional information and requirements around all aspects around funds. This included receiving funds, payment for expenses, auditing and finally returning the excess amount back to IPTN for scholarship purposes for the next conference. 

Refining the cost: As we were getting closer to the event, it was time to announce the delegate fee and some early bird options! This is where the ‘finance team’ started breaking down the potential expense list to a more granular level. We looked into the cost of the venue, food (including the Conference party) and the conference kit. From a venue point of view one of the big savings offered by the Christ University was that it was made available at free of cost. In addition, since we approached the vendor list provided by Christ University, we received good discounts even from premium vendors for food and Conference kit. This helped us in bringing the cost of the delegate fee down by around USD 100 for the early bird offer. The final offered rates were USD 255 and USD 295 as Early Bird and Full registration fees. And discounts offered were – 10% for IPTN members, 20% for regional representatives and workshop leaders and 50% for Homegroup leaders. 

Registrations and Scholarships: We had a total of 300+ early bird registrations for the conference! And more with the full fee. We provided full scholarships utilizing the scholarship fund from the previous conference and from the current conference income from paid delegates. After all the expenses the additional money was sent to IPTN to be utilized for scholarships for future conferences. Apart from these funds, a fund-raising initiative initiated by the Australian Playbacker, Gerry Orkin added to the Scholarship fund. 

To have fair assessment of scholarship applications, the core committee decided it was important to have an independent committee from previous Conference organizers from across the globe to review and approve the scholarship application. The Scholarship committee did a great job in reviewing the application and an independent committee ensured an unbiased decision on the scholarship decision. The total scholarships awarded were about 32.

In this context it must be mentioned that due to the Organizing Committee’s desire to have Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas as our VIP guests, it was decided that we would finance their airfare from the US to Bengaluru and take care of their accommodation, food and all other expenses. This was the least we could do for the founders of Playback Theatre.

Meeting with Indian groups: While we could provide a subsidised rate to Indian and South Asian groups, because of proximity, some Indian groups still felt that the amount was too high. The core group, after careful consideration of running costs, felt it would be very difficult to offer further concessions. However, we decided to offer more scholarships to Indian and South Asian groups. However, some groups were still not happy with this, and we were in no position to meet the request for further concessions. We offered a unique opportunity to the larger Indian Playback Theatre community to interact with Jo Salas and Jonathan Fox in an exclusive one-day workshop that would be held a day before the Conference. We felt that this would be an opportunity for the larger Indian community who were unable to attend the Conference.

The Visa Conundrum: India was primarily chosen because the expectation was that we would have fewer visa issues if at all. The previous experience at Montreal, where a liberal country like Canada had refused visas to some delegates especially from Sri Lanka came to mind. We were hoping that experience would not be repeated. Moreover, Christ University had organized many international conferences and we were under the assumption that they would be able to help out in a big way. 

However, what we did not realize until too late, was that the Visa issue had its own complexities in India. Some delegates were refused visas on technical grounds. Our attempts to negotiate through Christ University were not always successful. Some delegates were denied visas while with others, the Indian Government made exceptions and approved after initially denying visas. Much of our energy was taken up by the visa issue. Future Conference Organizers must bear in mind that Visa related decisions are state matters and as individuals and even at an organization level, there is very little they can do. To make amends, although it was never our fault in the first place, we ensured that we refunded the visa fees paid by the delegates who were denied visas. Delegates did get back to us to convey their gratitude and that our action had somewhat helped them tide over the disappointment of missing out on the Conference. 

The Conference

The book and the academic aspiration: Playback Theatre around the world: Diversity of Application was conceived to commemorate the Bengaluru Conference. Submissions were invited and among those who responded, eleven authors were chosen as contributors from Brazil, Cuba, France, Hungary, Greece, India, Israel, Lebanon and Ukraine. The topics range from working with women as mothers, professionals impacted by violence and caregivers, children in conflict with law, chorus, education, conflict zones and mental health among others, altogether a comprehensive study of Playback Theatre in action. The book was edited by Brian Tasker and Dr. Baiju Gopal from Christ University. The book is currently available on Amazon. 

Lodging: Compared to previous conferences where delegates had to travel between their lodging to the Conference venue and sometimes between different Conference venues, the Bengaluru Conference was special because we had moderately priced lodging at the Conference venue itself.

Moreover, there were many hotels within a radius of a kilometre or two where delegates could stay if they chose to. 

Volunteers: The Actors Collective had a set of volunteers along with the students from Christ University who were all thoroughly briefed about how to conduct the various parts of the Conference. They acted as guides, provided information, co-ordinated, did the running around and played a stellar role in being the backbone of the Conference.  Their sincerity and drive were certainly commendable.

Incidentally, from the Organizing team, a few of the volunteers could not participate in any of the Conference events. They made a courageous choice to stay with their administrative responsibilities so that others may experience the Conference unhindered. Unfortunately, this was necessary to ensure the smooth running of the Conference. 

Honouring our mentors: One of the most moving moments of the Conference was the moment we honoured the pioneers in India for enabling Playback growth here. The fact that they were all women added to the sheen of the event. They were Bev Hoskings (who had brought Playback Theatre to India along with the now deceased Mary Good), Sr. Clare and Christy who were the first Indians to watch a Playback Theatre performance at a World Women’s Conference in Beijing and invited Bev and Mary to visit India to train Indians in Playback Theatre.

Performances: Many groups expressed their desire to perform in the Conference. As much as possible we gave an opportunity to a diversity of groups. The opening performance for the delegates was provided by the host group – The Actors Collective. From the second evening onwards, there were multiple performances happening simultaneously in different spaces in the University. Delegates had access to a variety of styles of Playback Theatre on display. Care was taken to ensure that no country dominated but that there was an equal opportunity to see a global palette of styles and influences in Playback Theatre performances. 

On the evening of the grand dinner, we had a Playback Theatre performance performed by the Vozdukh Centre and which was conducted by Jonathan Fox. All in all, there was a rich display of Playback Theatre work throughout the Conference. 

Managing Expectations: India is a country in the process of growth. Very many things that are taken for granted in the western world, may appear a luxury here. Managing expectations became a huge part of our work as organizers. Conducting an international Playback Theatre conference in India brings forth its own opportunities and challenges. 

A glitch in the room registration system at the University meant that some delegates originally who were promised a room at the University were offered the same at the other branch, 11 kilometers away. However, this aspect came to light at the last minute and we were hard pressed while dealing with it. To assuage the feelings of the delegates and to make their experience comfortable, the University went out of its way to provide a bus, free of cost to transport the delegates back and forth. 

Not all the Conference venues had air conditioning, and this was a dampener for the delegates used to air conditioning in their own countries. Bengaluru has the most pleasant weather in India, and we have a history where we rely more on fans than air conditioners. Delegates experienced a need to adapt to the available infrastructure. In that sense the Christ University infrastructure was among the best that we could source in Bengaluru and probably in the country even. 

What can we learn?

This journey of two years was made up of so many calls, emails, long meetings, and above all, a lot of dreams. We knew it was not to be a paid assignment but were keen to do it for the larger community, and against all odds.

There were some difficult and unpleasant interactions with some people from the Playback Theatre fraternity. As a community, we can try to be more supportive of the host team and less disruptive.

The element of Racism did play up with our volunteers experiencing some bad behaviour on this account. The existence of racism is something the Playback Theatre community should be cognizant of and strive towards eliminating.

On the opening night, we were criticized for lack of women representation on the dais for a programme. This programme was organized by Christ University, and we had nothing to do with it. Yet we were criticized for it. What was sad was that the whole thing played out on social media when a simple conversation with us would have cleared things up. Together we could have sat together and worked out what we could do differently in the rest of the Conference. 

The harassment continued on social media even after the Conference, with criticisms, unsubstantiated allegations, and unwarranted comments. We didn’t react. This kind of harassment doesn’t sit well with the ethics of Playback Theatre and its community. In the name of activism, there seems to be a growing trend of bullying, harassment and tearing down of reputations.

This raises questions on inclusivity, empathy, and compassion – aspects seen in the workshops conducted by so many brilliant Playbackers only to vanish on social media. The international Playback Theatre community must introspect.

It must also be noted that many delegates wrote back to say with mostly positive feedback.

Acknowledgements

At the end, a thank you note is in order and as the Indian Playback Theatre Host of the Xth International Playback Theatre Conference, I must share my gratitude to the team that made it happen. Firstly, I want to thank these fantastic people who co-created this Conference – Brian Tasker, Christian Faber, Fr. Biju, Fr. Lijo, Padmakumar, Sunil Vijendra, Honey Raza, Anshul Jhambani, Vibha Kamath, Sneha Jacob, Sannidhi Surop, Baiju Gopal, Siddhant Dhimaan, Vivek Purushothaman, Shraddha Modi, Nisha Bhimaiah, Felix Hartley, Suraj Makhija, Jibrael Jos, Swathi Kumar, Sangeeta Goel, Riya Soni, faculty, and student volunteers of Christ University.  

Meeting space support – Mansee Shah Thard and Lahe Lahe. 

Initial support – Akash Narendran, Laxmipriya, Rashmi Ravikumar, Deepti Bhaskar, Sneha Nagaraj, Sneha Abraham, Anju Ann Mathew & Anumita. 

Overall background support – IPTN Board under the leadership of Jori Pitkanen, Ashwita Goel, Bernie (my four-legged friend who bid me goodbye once the Conference was over) and my mom. To all the wonderful people from around the world who supported us and encouraged and thanked us, much love to you.

Where will this Conference go from here? Whoever takes it up must be prepared for all the good and the bad that will come with it. We wish you well. 

(Framework for article provided by Christian Faber. Written by Rajesh P.I with inputs & overall suggestions from Brian Tasker – Winning the Bid from the perspective of the IPTN board, The Book and the Academic Aspiration & Sunil Vijendra – Pricing the Conference.)

About the author

Rajesh P.I is a Playback Theatre practitioner for two decades now. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Actors Collective. Apart from theatre, Rajesh is a Reiki healer, animal lover and regards kindness the greatest gift of all.

It has been a year and a half (since June 2020) of hosting online ‘open space’ inspired gatherings for Playbackers. This initiative is one of a number of online activities that grew in response to the almost endless series of lockdowns. We found ourselves in once the pandemic hit our respective homes. It was intended to create some space for people to bring their own playback-related topics to the table for discussion. The Playback Open Space online sessions were initiated by Johanna De Ruyter and Gerry Orkin (from Australia) on Zoom adapting the format from a widely used facilitation approach called Open Space^[i]. The principles of Open Space are that whoever comes, whatever happens, and however long it takes is what is meant to be. It invites participants to suggest topics and then creates spaces and times for those topics to be explored by whoever wishes to.

Early in the series of sessions, Laxmi Priya and I (from India) got involved in helping with the tech of managing the sessions including creating spontaneous breakout rooms, as it became clear that online facilitation benefited from a bigger team. Over time we have taken turns in other roles including holding space. We were enthusiastically joined in 2021 by Elsa Childs (from Portugal) and Johnnie Jablonka (from Australia) bringing poetry and music to sessions and allowing more sustainable sharing of roles in the team.

For me, my passion for the sessions has been sustained by the joy of discovering Playback Theatre online and the connections developed with Playbackers from around the world. Playback Theatre is a form that can’t be learned in isolation; however, the actor needs to create their own path of learning. The sessions provided one less structured forum to help one speak about that with which one is currently curious and alive.

The process of a Playback Open Space online session starts with acknowledging all the wonderful people in the room. This is followed by a short check-in where people meet in groups of three and four. We then try to create a safe space for participants to share topics or questions, by listening closely and listing then setting up breakout rooms for each topic. We then explain the Open Space principles and process including the ‘law of two feet’, encouraging participants to stay in a conversation only as long as they feel served and inspired by it. There is always a room/lobby kept aside for those who would like to spontaneously share stories and watch them be played back or practice conducting or playing back. The overall session is planned for about two hours long with two thirty to forty-minute breakout sessions. At the end of the first session, we regroup in the main room to listen in to summaries from different rooms. This helps to build a shared ecosystem of learning and exchange. People may decide then to continue on the same topics or start with new ones.

The themes are varied and rich across the sessions, from team building and conflicts in groups to skill building for online teaching and training to ethical dilemmas in pursuing Playback Theatre as an art form. The sessions have also provided room for brainstorming and improvisation in the discovery of new forms or tweaking familiar ones. Intergenerational learning based on curiosity was most moving and kept me coming back again and again.

Recently when I had the opportunity to meet Victoria Needa (London, UK), she observed the difference between the expectations of an audience for an Open Space event where the agenda is set by participants and a playback jam session where the team and the conductor set the themes and bring the audience in. It is possible these online sessions can democratize some of the ways we connect as playbackers internationally. It also seems fitting and fills a need – for Playbackers to have a space for rest, sharing, and learning through reflection in the midst of all the space-holding we do as conductors, actors, musicians, and tellers.

The circles of resonance have rippled wider and the flowing circle of participants from different parts of the globe has enriched each of the short but fulfilling virtual interactions. One participant noted that they enjoyed the excellent facilitation and the small enough group to create a good working atmosphere. The possibilities of cross-pollination of ideas, techniques, to connect us more deeply and make every Playback Theatre performance more successful has demonstrated how such forums can be invaluable resources for practitioners.

It is important to note that as the world was forced into isolation, we were all affected by it differently. Some of us live in communities where people faced major health risks and lost income, each of us knew someone who lost a family member.  Some (including the organizers) were privileged to not worry about where our next meal would arrive. We came with different languages, genders, abilities, playback experiences and found some common ground.

In running the Playback Open online Space, we have realized if we want to be more inclusive of diverse participants, we need to oil our machine for the sessions and try some different strategies. These have included switching who is heading the ship through safe waters, to bringing different textures to how the ship is rowed. No one person is attached to a particular task but we have tried to take turns chipping in for everything: design, facilitation, tech, drafting invitations, opening, and closing.  We realized and shifted to asking for rather than assuming, so as to honor the pronouns people would like to be addressed by. Early in the process, organizers decided to keep the sessions free and without payment for facilitators. It was felt that this was not in the spirit of co-creation and growing together through sharing. Open Space approaches work against hierarchies of knowledge, as content is created ‘in the moment’. In line with Playback, we can follow impulses and ‘move’. Reflecting on the biases of the organizers, we began in a more ‘Asia/Oceania’ friendly time zone (Sunday afternoon/evening) when not much else in the Online Playback Theatre Universe was at such times. We have stayed around that while experimenting with ways to include others across the ocean.

Further ideas to improve access and inclusion are being explored such as volunteers to support translations for those who need it, a transcription tool on zoom to help understand different accents. We have begun to reflect on other issues of access and inclusion and are keenly aware of the digital divide however the aim, for now, was to explore what is possible.

The scope of possibilities is huge; can we create more oasis of honoring our feelings, holding space for reflective and exploratory conversation that support the curious participant to deepen their engagement with Playback? Become a committed Playbacker? There have been only about 200 participants across the many instalments: a small subset of the 4,300 subscribers of the Facebook group  “Playback theatre around the world“. A hat tip to this group and the advantage of not breaking into too many subgroups to be able to keep abreast with what is happening with those who shared opportunities, shows, learnings, and training.

In the time of instant everything, in forty-six years the playback community has grown slowly and steadily and adapted as the world has changed. The quarantine and lockdowns – albeit unfortunate circumstances – have made learning and playback accessible through zoom and social media. We also acknowledge the magic of the internet that bends time and space while putting us in boxes where we are able to mirror actions, resonate with poetry with tears, and hold space even in silences.

As we tear back to our imagined realities of what the normal is, we are left to ponder what our learnings have been in these days, months, years of greater isolation. We have had the chance to explore with a more global group, what are the skills required to practice Playback Theatre? How can we honor each teller? how could these skills and exchanges be more accessible for those who can’t travel halfway around the world or can’t meet face to face? It now remains to be seen whether future organizers of Playback Theatre meetups would consider an online component in terms of performance or open space to allow these rivers of learning to keep flowing. And whether the principles and processes of the open space approach might have a place in that.

I’ll leave you with a song by Barbara Mc Afee:

There are songs in the soil and the rivers and trees

And the ears of your heart can hear them

And some come alive in the meeting of eyes

When you take the time to see them

Chorus:

I will listen to the deeper story

I will see how life’s going to move in me

I will listen to the deeper story

I will see how life’s going to move in me

References

^[i] For more detail see eg //openspaceworld.org/wp2/what-is

About the author

Anisha is a student of psychology and cheerleader for early access to the Arts for everyone. Having the unique opportunity of relocating from Bangalore to London in the midst of the pandemic, she has dug her toes into Playback Theatre and improv which she started just during the lockdown. She is excited about the intersection of community building, introspective reflections, and spontaneous art that playback channelizes. She is part of several international improv teams and Citylamps, ACT online and True Heart Theatre, London Playback Theatre in person.

Testimonios De La Experiencia Del Encuentro

Eran alrededor de las 3,30 de la tarde del día 5 de Noviembre, y muchas personas nos dirigíamos al Centro Social “Luis Buñuel” de la ciudad, con mucha curiosidad e ilusión, y también algunas dudas…¿estará cerca del alojamiento?, ¿dónde estará el restaurante?, ¿y cómo será estar tanto tiempo con la mascarilla puesta?, ¿merecerá la pena todo el esfuerzo previo de la preparación, y la participación en este encuentro?, ¿podremos responder el equipo organizador a todos los inconvenientes que se presenten?, ¿podremos comunicarnos suficientemente bien, con las personas que hablan otros idiomas? ¿y cómo incorporar a esta experiencia a Ferrán, compañero del comité organizador, que no pudo estar presente por razones de salud…?; porque sentirle, ¡si le sentíamos presente entre nosotros y nosotras!stas, y otras preguntas circulaban por nuestras cabezas, imagino que  especialmente dentro de la de Diana (su lista de tareas a realizar, su deseo de que todo estuviese “a punto”, etc..), y en el resto de su cuerpo…; ella, como representante local del equipo organizador, fue quien tuvo muchíííísima responsabilidad en las gestiones organizativas. El resto (Nadia, Ferrán, Antonio y yo misma, estuvimos también en el comité organizador)

El tiempo  era fresco, y pensábamos en abrir las ventanas, para prevenir el contagio por Covid. Contábamos con algún sistema de calor, que buscábamos con muchas ganas en algunos momentos; y  nos habían avisado para ir abrigad@s..¿habríamos traído suficiente abrigo?

Allí estaba el espacio de la recepción, colocado junto a la sala principal del encuentro, señalizado con los carteles anunciadores del encuentro, el programa general y los carteles individuales de cada taller, para facilitar la inscripción a cada uno (lo que se hizo al comienzo del encuentro). ¿Se desplegaría el “hilo rojo” en estos espacios arquitectónicos?¿Habría suficiente “sensibilidad télica” en este grupo, que nos caldease el corazón?

Las personas de la organización comenzamos a  recibir con mucho entusiasmo a cada participante,  entregando un cuaderno (con la imagen del IV Encuentro), y un bolígrafo.

Recibimos también a Ben Rivers, nuestro docente invitado a la masterclass y otras actividades, que nos hizo recordar otros comienzos de encuentros ibéricos de teatro playback, en los que participaron otros expert@s invitad@s, que nos dejaron su huella, su cariño y su presencia en esta red de vínculos, de vida, de sorpresas, creaciones colectivas y aprendizajes, que deseamos seguir tejiendo con la magia de esta comunidad que crece.

Toda aquella incertidumbre de los últimos meses, toda la preparación que  ya casi finalizaba…. y  el proyecto empezaba a transformarse en real, y  se abría otra vez, de nuevo, la puerta a la magia de las almas que se conectan a través de esta experiencia de encuentro. Y un nuevo pedacito de historia, de los encuentros ibéricos de Teatro Playback estaba a punto de ser escrita…

-Ana Fernández

La historia de distintas personas intentando hacer algo común, sin prejuicios, sin idioma común, con visiones diferentes de la vida, la realidad y la ficción. Y la vida sigue, el supercovid viene y vuelve la distancia, los miedos, las fatigas y la esperanza de un mundo mejor.

                                                          -Anónimo (formulario de evaluación)

Volviendo al recuerdo del Encuentro, me vienen los detalles del inicio del viaje, de las charlas de la compañía que tuve durante el trayecto Salamanca –Zaragoza. 

Me viene en especial una que tuvimos mitad en broma mitad en serio, sobre los semáforos. Debatíamos sobre si los semáforos oprimían a la persona o no, porque ciertamente te expresan/imponen cuando puedes parar y cuando puedes seguir el paso en función del color que ellos marquen.  Y claro, a ti no te queda otra que hacerles caso, aceptas consciente o inconscientemente lo que la máquina de colores te pide. 

A la entrada en Zaragoza, como llegábamos con el tiempo justo y en realidad no queríamos llegar tarde (hablo en plural por que íbamos 5 personas en el coche, aunque en realidad son todo sensaciones y experiencias mías, habría que preguntar al resto si lo ven desde el mismo prisma) nos saltamos (me salté) unos cuantos semáforos, pasando a circular por los pelos sin tener ningún accidente (¡gracias universo!)

Los alegres conductores zaragozanos nos pitaban sin cesar dándonos la bienvenida a la ciudad ¡qué majos!

El caso es que esta idea de los semáforos se ha quedado en mi cabeza… ¿Qué pasaría si no hubiese semáforos? Si no hubiese instrumentos que regulasen un poco la circulación, quizá el mundo sería un caos…  

Y esto me llevo del encuentro de playback… que hay una organización, que hay una estructura detrás que contiene y que regula, que facilita el tránsito. Da igual en que parte del mundo se haga, hay una estructura que facilita que las personas nos podamos juntar para contar historias.  

Como también tuve la oportunidad de participar en la actuación que se hizo, me quedo con la reflexión de que el teatro playback facilita mucho el trabajo en colectivo manteniendo cada 1 su propia individualidad y eso está guay.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       -María Castro

Leyendo el relato de Maria me quedo pensando en esto de las normas, de los límites, del respeto y de lo difícil que es a veces marcar este límite entre la libertad individual y el cuidado grupal, y más en medio de una pandemia, con todo lo que conlleva; siento que las personas de la organización llevaron a cabo esta responsabilidad de una forma respetuosa, pero cuidando al grupo.

Recuerdo una de las historias que compartió un narrador en la función final. El título de la función era como el del encuentro, algo así como “después de la tormenta”. Se compartieron historias de tormentas personales y físicas, esta historia en concreto, me pareció muy tierna. La historia de una relación muy especial entre una persona y su perra. El narrador compartió su experiencia en una gran tormenta, el miedo, el frío, la incertidumbre y como él y el animal se acompañaron, se cuidaron, y eso generó un vínculo aún más fuerte. En el Teatro Playback ocurre lo mismo, compartimos historias, vivencias, experiencias, que a veces son difíciles, son las tormentas de la vida, pero el compartirlas y transitarlas con la persona conductora y el grupo, nos ayuda a aliviar y a generar vínculos y espacios sanadores.

                                                                                                      -H. Esteban

La magia del encuentro de teatro aún resuena en mi mente cuando pienso en los días que compartimos juntos. Para mí, en un principio fue un momento lleno de ilusión e incertidumbre que se fue transformando en seguridad y confianza según iban pasando las horas.

Recuerdo con ternura…

…La cantidad de detalles que fueron cuidados minuciosamente por parte del equipo de organización: distancias de un sitio a otro, alojamiento, comidas y cenas, aperitivos y bebidas calientes para tomar entre horas…

…El compartir unos días de convivencia con los miembros de la compañía (¡fuimos la gran mayoría del grupo Entrespejos!) y de conocer a otras personas que disfrutan haciendo playback. Estreché algunos vínculos, puse cuerpos en perspectiva, en tres dimensiones (como diría Ana Fernández), y conocí a personas que había visto en otras ocasiones a través de la pantalla.

…El entendimiento a pesar de ser de diferentes países y hablar otros idiomas.

…La posibilidad de ver cómo otras compañías hacen la misma forma y como cada una de ellas, como si fuera un ser vivo tiene un estilo muy particular.

…El espacio de inclusión, tolerancia, respeto, seguridad y familia que viví durante el encuentro.

…La función. Fue increíble, por un lado, ver las caras de las personas que se acercaban por primera vez al teatro playback y, por otro lado, ser espectador de una compañía que se creó para la ocasión.

Desde mi punto de vista, el dispositivo de teatro playback facilita y favorece que solo con una palabra (la forma) tengamos un espacio seguro a partir del cual empezar a crear. Una palabra, que, en sus distintos idiomas, despierta en el cuerpo una forma de hacer y proceder. La reflexión que me llevo del encuentro es: “Las posibilidades de la creatividad llegan hasta donde yo misma me ponga el límite”. Así que, os cuento que este encuentro me ha permitido dinamitar los límites de mi espontaneidad, ver otras posibilidades y movimientos, entenderme sin palabras y vivir unos días muy familiares compartiendo algo que me apasiona.

-Rocío Gentil

Compartir música es en ocasiones una tarea muy complicada. Cuando se participa en su creación la tarea implica mucha disposición y escucha. Si a su vez se añade la posibilidad de encontrarse con otro músico la tarea se complica. Ya no solo reside en que cada uno de ellos se involucre en esa creación si no que al hacerlo también exige que se comuniquen entre ellos.  La música tiene infinitud de posibilidades, pero necesita de un orden en la relación ente los distintos sonidos y silencios que la forman. Cuantos más músicos participan en la creación mayor es el número de líneas, melodías, armonías… que surgen en el tiempo y estas solo tienen sentido en su relación con las demás. Si no, no sería música, sería ruido.

Escuchar al mundo con su propia música mientras este se retroalimenta con todas las músicas de los otros acaba siendo solo eso: música.

                                                                                            -Sergio Carrascal

Mi testimonio del encuentro de Zaragoza es que el Teatro Playback crea nuevos mundos posibles! Es algo potente y muy especial. Permite rasgar nuevos horizontes y ultrapasar fronteras de todo o tipo. Creo que es una experiencia que todos y todas deberían de experimentar, pues yo creo que cambia el mundo pues nos cambia internamente y profundamente! Es una celebración, una experiencia de encuentro profundo. Es una fiesta! Por supuesto, tiene momentos difíciles y duros cuando conectamos con la realidad no tan dulce, pero así mismo es potente, pues hay siempre esperanza y creatividad colectiva que es algo magnifico!

                                                                                              -Ángela Lacerda

Tras el interregno que nos llevó a celebrar el III Encuentro Ibérico de Teatro Playback en formato online, muchas dudas e incertidumbres se cernían en el aire, respecto a la organización del IV EITP, presencial. Aun así, y por la forma valiente y soñadora en que se reconoce a este colectivo organizativo, no bajamos los brazos y nos pusimos a trabajar.

Reunidos en torno a una mesa virtual, “lanzamos al aire” algunas propuestas de lugar, y la elección recayó en el territorio que creíamos que proporcionaría, en la actualidad, más y mejores condiciones para lxs participantes: Zaragoza. Después, intentamos dividir las tareas para que el proceso se desarrolle sin problemas y seamos eficientes. En un equipo que ya se conoce, los procesos ya están más engrasados, pero aun así, siempre hay algunas piedras en el camino, que se presentan aquí como ejemplo. Cómo lidiar con la dispersión y la confusión cuando nos comunicamos en varios canales al mismo tiempo. La existencia de dudas a la hora de elegir la mejor plataforma para comunicar. Hacer frente a la ausencia de comunicación y/o a la falta de iniciativa de l@s compañer@s. Sensación de que el proceso no avanza.

Una vez superadas todas estas cuestiones, la mayoría de las veces mitigadas con una “llamada de atención” de un@ compañer@, nos encontramos en una fase en la que las mariposas empiezan a sacar lo mejor de nosotros. ¿Se sentirá la gente preparada para volver a viajar? ¿Surgirán problemas difíciles de resolver debido al covid-19? ¿Tendremos suficientes participantes? ¿Siempre conseguiremos mantener el IV EITP al final?

Por mucho que hubiera dudas e incertidumbres, éstas se transformaron, confirmando una vez más que nuestro EITP está floreciendo y desarrollándose de forma saludable y sostenida. Nuestro compromiso con la práctica y el desarrollo del teatro playback en la Península Ibérica sigue intacto, y esperamos poder llegar a más y más personas que, como nosotros, se dedican en cuerpo y alma a esta forma de teatro tan original y humana.

Gracias a todos, a todas y a todes.

                                                                                             -António Vicente

Ser parte de la organización del Encuentro “Ibérico” de Teatro Playback, y no ser de origen Ibérico… pero sí de corazón.

El Teatro Playback me ha acompañado en mi proceso migratorio en España desde hace siete años. Me ha dado raíces y cimientos en esta tierra compartiendo la transformación y el empoderamiento creativo como mujer migrada. 

Sin duda a través de los Encuentros Ibéricos me he hermanado con practicantes del Teatro Playback de la península ibérica a tal punto de olvidar las fronteras y los mares que me separan de mi tierra. No me he sentido en absoluto extranjera, sino parte de ésta comunidad que va creciendo cada día más.

Comencé mi participación en el comité organizador desde el III Encuentro en el 2020, cuando la pandemia nos dejó enmarcados en pequeñas ventanas de zoom. Dificultades con las conexiones y dispositivos, pero adaptándonos rápidamente a la tecnología, creando canales creativos, permitiendo además que miembros de compañías de España, Portugal y Latinoamérica compartiéramos las experiencias con la metodología escénica, el 2020 me regresó a mis orígenes playbackeros, me regresó a México en un clic.

Este IV Encuentro Ibérico 2021 nos emocionaba tanto desde que comenzamos las juntas virtuales para organizarlo, entusiasmados de regresar a los cuerpos, a las voces, a los espacios tridimensionales y al calor y energía propia del teatro en vivo.

Mascarillas, distancias de seguridad, geles antibacteriales, formaron parte de nuestro quehacer escénico.

Apasionados y con ganas de reencontrarnos, playbackeros de Portugal, España, Bélgica, Finlandia, Siria, Francia y México viajamos kilómetros hacia Zaragoza para compartir un fin de semana lleno de propuestas y provocaciones creativas, nuevas prácticas, muchas preguntas e historias para contar y escuchar.

Los abrazos no se hicieron esperar y empezamos el IV Encuentro Ibérico la tarde fría de un viernes de noviembre. Reencuentros en el hostal, en la calle, en la entrada del Centro Social Luis Buñuel, gritos de emoción, abrazos, ilusión plena de vernos de nuevo.

Caras conocidas y desconocidas pero hermanadas por un mismo lenguaje.

La diversidad de lenguajes emergieron: francés, inglés, árabe, portugués, castellano, catalán, diversidad de orígenes y culturas. La destreza lingüística de algunos miembros del comité organizador ayudaron a la traducción simultánea entre el inglés y el castellano, el árabe y por parte de los participantes el francés. Conforme fueron pasando las horas creo que fuimos olvidando en qué idioma nos comunicamos, olvidamos lo que nos separaba y el Teatro Playback nos abrió, de nueva cuenta, una puerta de  comunicación.

Un centro cultural autogestivo nos acogió con una gran resiliencia y valentía. Canciones, ritmos, voces, e historias conectadas. Tres días que se nos fueron como agua, Performance, talleres, mesa redonda, fiesta, comidas, risas y un hasta luego, nos vemos en el 2022 en Portugal. Ya espero con ansias que el V Encuentro podamos quitarnos las mascarillas y enmarcar una sonrisa por el placer de entretejer nuestras historias en escena. ¡Vamos a ver!

                                                                                             -Nadia Zúñiga

¿Qué has aprendido y que te has  llevado contigo (pregunta de orga-team)?

Unos regalos, unos arrepentimientos (no haber asistido al taller de Elsa Child), unos enfados por llevar mascarilla durante el taller, que aumentan cada día.

Mi primer evento de PT como espectador. La actuación increíble (alguien no informado no podría adivinar que era una compañía improvisada) y, sin embargo, una experiencia muy mala para mí. (Compartiré sobre eso en otro lugar). Algunas cosas de las que no era consciente antes: las diferencias y desacuerdos entre PT y TE, y sin embargo la firme conciencia de compartir un linaje común, de ser parte de la misma familia.

La diferencia abismal del estatus del PT en el mundo ibérico, frente a lo marginal que es el PT en Francia. La improvisada y espontánea flexibilidad de los facilitadores en cuanto a idiomas. Cuán acogedores fueron todos y ayudaron con la traducción.Un vistazo a la vida cultural en Zaragoza: en el albergue, un evento casi todas las noches.

                                                                                                    -Julien Soller

¿Con qué me quedo del encuentro?

¿Qué imagen elegiría?

¿Qué metáfora lo simboliza, es capaz de condensar la montaña rusa emocional que viví esos días?

Me viene a la mente una inmensa red tejida entre cada una de las personas que estuvieron allí, de una manera o de otra: personas que participaron de todos los talleres del encuentro o de tan solo uno, personas que en la función actuaron, o narraron, o estuvieron presentes… todas ellas colaboraron a hacer crecer esa red… una red viva que no comenzó a tejerse esos días, sino que flotaba en el aire desde hace tiempo, desde antes de que yo misma supiera qué es esto del teatro playback… una red que esos días para mí se hizo inmensa y que ahí sigue, inacabada porque sigue entrelazándonos, sigue entretejiéndose de historias, canciones, experiencias compartidas, y que volveremos a descubrir flotando en el aire en otoño de 2022 cuando nos encontremos de nuevo en Portugal y esa maravillosa torre de Babel en la que se han convertido los encuentros ibéricos de TP se ponga de nuevo en marcha, para atraparnos e insuflarnos vida.                                                                                                      -Diana Calvo

About the author

Ana Maria Fernandez Espinosa- Enfermera especialista en salud mental; Psicodramatista y Psicoterapeuta; profesora jubilada de formación profesional (Sanidad); Co-directora de la Escuela Ibérica de Teatro Playback (coordina el grupo local Entrespejos); Directora de la Escuela de Psicodrama, Sociodrama y Teatro aplicado “IMPROMPTU”; colaboradora del Máster de Teatro aplicado de la Universidad de Valencia; miembro de la AEP (Asociación española de Psicodrama) y de la SEPTG (Sociedad española de Psicoterapia y Técnicas de grupo); apasionada de la conexión desde la humanidad, y de las actividades que promueven la  “ética del amor” Ha publicadoy/o coordinado algunos artículos y libros, entre ellos: ”Teatros para la Transformación”, Ñaque, 2015; y “Teatro Playback: Historias que nos conectan “, Octaedro, 2018.

• Imagine you go to the theater and …you get to know the person sitting next to you.

• Imagine you go to the theater and …you learn more about yourself.

• Imagine you go to the theater and …you hear stories from the audience that you will never forget.

• Imagine you go to the theater and …the audience is mixed: people who grew up in Germany and others who grew up in countries like Syria, in Iran or in Afghanistan.

• Imagine you go to the theater and …you can share your experiences, personal stories and feelings spontaneously and see them on stage.

‘Faces of Change’ Playback Theater Group

If so, then you have been to a performance by “Faces of Change” Kiel’s first Playback Theater group, a ZBBS project. It is multicultural in the truest sense of the word because it consists of actresses and a musician who come from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, South Africa and Germany. On Friday, 10/22/21 they performed together with the Playbackers Hani Al Rstum and Shadi Al-aiek from Syria in the Hansa48 for about 40 enthusiastic people. The performance was accompanied by musician Saad Alsayed with percussion and hang. (www.playbacktheater-kiel.de)

Syrian Cultural Weeks in Kiel

As part of the Syrian Culture Weeks in Kiel, Hani Al Rstum and Shadie Al-aiek were invited to give a workshop and help create a performance in the Hansa48 cultural center. They brought their sensitive and free spirit, which gives wings to dreams, to Kiel. Participants in the workshop directed by Hani were able to experiment with it in the Hansa48.

After the workshop there was a performance with Hani Al Rstum and Shadie Al-aiek and the playback theater group Faces Of Change.

Our Guests: Hani Al Rstum and Shadie Al-aiek

Hani Al Rstum and Shadie Al-aiek are originally from Syria and have been doing peace work in Lebanon for a long time. Their cultural center, which was managed by Hani for years, was a place of fighting and was won back for culture. Bullet holes and tunnels that were dug to rescue the injured remained as a warning. In this cultural center they did performances for years. To conduct and perform in such circumstances, you need dreams, competence, resilience and courage. Hani Al Rstum and Shadi Al-aiek combine these skills. Hani is a psychologist and works with the means of theater and has been doing cultural projects for many years. Shadi Al-aiek is a visual artist and Playback Theater player.

The Performance ‘Let The Dream Be Your Wings’

As an introduction and on the topic of the evening: Which dreams and hopes gives you strength to face hardship and difficulties in life, the players introduced themselves with sentences on this topic on stage. “I wish for peace in the world in these times,” said a player from Afghanistan. This statement moved the audience because it was clear to everyone that peace in this country is now seriously endangered by the invasion of the Taliban. Another tells how she dreams of a second Nelson Mandela who can bring peace and respect to the world. A bearer of hope who managed to address people across borders.

That evening, the desire for peace, freedom and security was heard in many of the stories from the audience. For example, a Syrian man had the idea that the international connection between people of all origins would be carried out into the world. Contrary to well-known, national tones that can be heard both among people who grew up in Germany and among fellow immigrants, his idea of freedom and international exchange was so important to him that he passionately expressed it publicly in the theater.   

Another narrator from Iran was very happy to be here and to see so many friends on stage instead of sitting on the sofa. With her contribution she encouraged the other women to express themselves freely and openly in front of an audience.

A woman who grew up in Lebanon described how her life in Germany had changed for better. Instead of pressure and systematic repression, she was finally allowed to receive support. Here in Kiel, where she arrived as a young woman a few years ago, she got access to education and the German language. As she emphasized, her development had not yet come to an end.

Another woman expressed how much she missed culture in the times of Corona. She felt locked up and lonely without attending cultural events. Her story made it clear that culture is not a luxury that can simply be discarded. The corona measures have impaired the free and peaceful life here.

The stories from the audience showed how a connection between different worlds can work. It can be achieved through liberation from oppression, education, free creativity. Through openness and expression of what moves you inside, a connection between cultures and across nationalities is possible. The last story from a teacher from Kiel made it clear. She spoke about a Syrian woman who did a good job as a teacher and yet had to leave the job after a few years – without getting any reason for her dismissal. The players had the courage to call racism by it’s name and break a taboo. In everyday life, racism is often not mentioned because it is accompanied by shame and feelings of guilt on both sides. “I know that I know nothing”, were the words of the protagonist at the end of the story. Through the courageous play on stage, the discrimination on which the story was based became tangible.

The storyteller was very moved by the narration of her inner conflict on stage. Because of the intense play, she came into action a few days later and quit her job. Since she was fascinated by acting, she began to act in a theater company herself.

The audience was enthusiastic and after the performance they sat together for a long time and exchanged phone numbers. Two women from the audience would also like to join our group and the audience expressed the wish for another Playback Theater performance.

The dream, contact and encounter at eye level between people of all origins, has gained wings and hopefully it will continue with Playback Theater in Kiel in the Hansa48.

About the authors

Ulrike Krogmann loves the real moments in Playback Theater performances and feels gifted by the stories in the audience. For her, creating these true moments begins with listening. With a lot of joy in learning she visits international festivals like the Camp in Belarus. She is co-founder of the Hamburg PlaybackBühne a professional ensemble (www.playback-buehne.de) together with her friend Dorothea Erl. Together with her friend Idun Hübner she founded a second playback theater group in Kiel. Their shared dream of a multicultural playback theater group came true: “Faces Of Change” (www.playbacktheater-kiel.de) She is an accredited Playback Theater Trainer from the Center for Playback Theater, USA. 

Idun Hübner has been passionate about the performing arts since the beginning of her studies in 1981, hereafter performing with various theatre groups. She was part of a circus group for many years and after finishing her studies in “Theatre and Play Education” she founded a project in Cape Town, South Africa doing “Juggling Shows” with street children. In Kiel, Germany along with her friend Ulrike Krogmann she works with refugees and they have done numerous theatre projects involving refugees and students. Five of these projects won awards. In 2019 she participated in the International Playback Theatre Camp in Belarus. That is where she fell in love with Playback Theatre!!  After returning to Kiel with the power of Playback Theatre in their hearts Ulrike and Idun founded the “Faces of Change” Playback Theatre group in 2019.

Playback Theatre Around the World, Diversity of Application, Christ (Deemed to be University) Bangalore (January 3, 2020)

This collection of essays was brought together by Baiju Gopal and Brian Tasker and was published to commemorate the 10th IPTN international conference held at Christ University in Bengaluru, India in December 2019, and the 44th year of Playback Theatre. Edited by Brian Tasker (former editor of the IPTN Journal) and Baiju Gopal (Associate Professor at Christ University), it contains eleven diverse accounts of Playback Theatre practice from Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Ukraine and other counties. It is available to purchase on amazon.india and amazon.co.uk in both kindle and printed formats. If you encounter difficulties purchasing a copy, please contact Baiju Gopal on baiju.gopal@christuniversity.in for assistance.

Editors’ note: We hope to include a full review of this publication in the next edition of the IPTN Journal

An Introduction to Psychotherapeutic Playback Theater – Hall of Mirrors on Stage By Ronen Kowalsky, Nir Raz, Shoshi Keisari
Published January 31, 2022 by Routledge
216 Pages, ISBN 9780367766290

Editors’ note – This new book presenting Psychotherapeutic Playback Theater as a unique form of group psychotherapy, was published just before our IPTN Journal release date, and we plan to include a full review in our next edition.