The main topic of the meeting is the question how much children who grow up under critical circumstances are effected by cultural work and theatre playing.
Children suffer in a very special way under social and political injustice, wars, natural disasters and also under individual familiy crisis and severe illness. Art and theatre can help to overcome conflicts and problems and to come to terms with traumatic situations.
The artistic activity of children is not only a possibility for having a future without anxiety but is also a precondition for their social integration. The therapeutic and visionary power of art can help much more in these situations of life than only human motivated projects. When children go into art, perspectives will develop which can effect their whole life.
In as far as this basic thesis is subject to a special therapeutical idea or whether the effct of art is immanent, is to be presented and discussed by means of the different projects. Theatre education deals also with investigating the children’s intrapersonal and social conflicts.
The total project comprises five elements:
Within the conferences questions of artistic, scientific, and social aspect are to be investigated.
Thus a worldwide network should be created securing a continuous development and strengthening of this artistic and socially important field.
Organizer of the symposium is the European Association of International Amateur Theatre AITA/IATA in cooperation with the municipality Stadt Lingen (Ems) and the Institute for Theatre Education of the University of Applied Sciences of Osnabrück in Lingen (Ems).
Standing Committee for Children and Youth of the AITA/IATA, Arts by Children e.V. (ABC), Bund Deutscher Amateurtheater e.v. (BDAT), Kunstschule (School of Art) in the Kunstverein (Association of Art) Lingen (Ems)