The dance of words. A theatrical workshop for migrant women to discover the Italian language
Irene Salza
The article intends to illustrate and discuss the 4 year experience of the theatrical project «The Dance of Words», created and produced by the Turin Cultural Association Onda Teatro in partnership since 2013 with the voluntary organisation Ewivere. Every year the project involves a group of around 20 women from different countries in Asia and Africa, who are attending Italian schools which cooperate with Ewivere. This collaboration involves the creation of a theatrical workshop lasting 10 sessions with the aim of staging a final performance open to the public at the Casa del Teatro ragazzi e Giovani di Torino. Over the years, the project has evolved to address the linguistic and expressive needs of people coming to Italy from their home countries, with the sole purpose of helping people to understand how to integrate into the social and cultural aspects of Italian life. We feel that theatre can offer a means of expressing oneself, drawing on your own resources, and re-affirming your own identity. Furthermore, understanding the Italian language will help not only to meet your first needs of living in Italy, but also to share the central topics surrounding the process of social integration: feelings, culture, history.
Keywords
Theatre, social inclusion, lifelong learning, intercultural