<\/p>\n
From 2022 to 2025, the Federal Association of Theatre Education (BuT) carried out an ERASMUS+ funded project entitled #theatre.makes.politics. The BuT took on the role of project coordination (led by Lutz Pickardt), with the other project partners being TENet-Gr Greece, LaTransplanisphere France, CID North Macedonia, Exquorum Portugal and the Children’s and Youth Theatre Dortmund.<\/p>\n
Three years of intensive cross-border collaboration led to the development of a practical handbook with theatre education methods and formats as a response to anti-democratic forces in Europe, in particular:<\/p>\n
With the rise of anti-democratic forces in Europe, the cohesion of our societies is at risk. Right-wing populist parties in particular are attempting to dominate political discourse, claiming to represent \u2018the people\u2019 and to have the \u2018right\u2019 answers, while denying others a place in our society.<\/p>\n
Many right-wing populists, conspiracy theorists, and Islamist and Christian fundamentalists despise democratic processes and attempt to undermine them. They expect tolerance from others, while at the same time being intolerant themselves and acting accordingly. We believe it is extremely important that young Europeans understand how populists and extremists of various stripes seek to manipulate them, and the means they use to stir up resistance and even hostility towards other groups, be they refugees, Muslims, \u2018infidels\u2019, LGBTQ+ people, etc.<\/p>\n
With the publication of this practical handbook, we are providing an important impetus for youth cultural work and political education and want to encourage young people to broaden their perspectives, develop a deeper understanding of people who are \u2018different\u2019 or \u2018foreign\u2019 to them, to recognise and overcome their own prejudices, and to discover the joy of interacting, playing and engaging with people they would otherwise never meet.<\/p>\n