13 January 2014, 5–9 p.m.

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg Platz
– Grüner Salon –

Based on the experiences of the M.A. Masters Program for Teaching Theatre conducted in Mexico City at UNAM with 20 teacher-students of various universities from Brazil, Columbia, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia, and USA (2012-2014) the meeting addressed the following ideas were put up for discussion and reflection:

1. It is the multi-ethnic encounter, which reflects today’s - and even more tomorrow’s -situation in artistic production, not only practically because of mixed ensembles, but also mentally. Actors need to be prepared for a transparency to accept different cultures and techniques; and incorporate them. What do we need to teach to create “transparent”acting skills. How do they look like?

2. Teachers and trainers need a methodological approach more than knowledge.
They need the tools to create their own school, become masters of their own.
Which are the most important aspects that students develop their unique approach based on their own cultural heritage? Should the European drama be seen as fundament and in which relation to different traditions world-wide?

3. The methodological approach leads to a scientific understanding of the subject. Acting itself becomes subject of scientific research. Which kind of depth research on the process of acting, training, and creation we can find in the theatre science? Do we need to establish more or new ways for scientific research on the process of acting?

4. Theatre will not develop if it does not integrate the achievements of natural sciences, such as neuroscience, astronomy, physics, centrauristics etc. The same applies for all other sciences, and naturally for all other art forms.

5. The artistic director of this programme proposes a new form of aesthetical teaching and creating lessons: it is the artistic approach which brings each lesson into an artistic format, without serving a primitive event-culture. Rather rising the consciousness that every detail in the actors’ education should develop their artistic spirit and rise their level.

Speakers included Prof. Dr. Jurij Alschitz who spoke about his initial ideas for this program and reflect on the ongoing realization in Mexico; Prof. Marcos Bulhões and Prof. Marcelo Denny from the University Sao Palo, Brazil, who gave a presentation on recent developments in acting education for contemporary theatre in Brazil as well as diploma teachers of the program and Fellows of the IRC.

6. It seems to be a paradox to combine the scientific approach by artistic means - exactly this has to be achieved. Which new forms and impulses can we provide?

The event was organized by the AKT-ZENT Research Centre ITI in collaboration with the International Research Center »Interweaving Performance Cultures« (Freie Universität Berlin) and CUT – Centro Universitario de Teatro, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)