Promoting health and integration from the stage

A Minister of Life Style is rapping. A parent of double standards is preaching to his child. And a futurologist is obsessed with prehistoric time. These are some of the odd characters on stage when theatre, adult education and health issues get together.

By Michael Voss/InfoNet

For more than a century art, handicrafts and other creative activities have played central role in Danish non-formal adult education, but in recent years theatre has combined with adult education in a new way. More and more politicians are expecting non formal adult education to help the authorities solve different kind of social problems like integration of immigrants, health promotion and active citizenship.

Many schools and associations have entered this field, and one of the methods is theatre. Small theatre companies tour with little scenery and equipment – suitable for school halls and meeting halls.

Responsibility and regulation

It is one of these companies, “Odsherred Teater”, that sent a Minister of Life Style on stage in their play “The Right Way” about health. Through the characters in “The Right Way” the company confronts the audience with some of the views and myths about health that exist in Denmark according to a recent survey:

“Authorities should not interfere with how I live”

“It is the responsibility of the employee herself, if she is stressed.”

“Is there room for people, who cannot cope in the labour market?”

In this way they aim to provoke the audience to state their own views. At the same time facts are shown on a screen, like how many dies because of tobacco or overweight every year.

The company has made a partnership with a national association of adult education schools, DOF. Local DOF-schools organize events where the play is shown and the audience debate afterwards.

In the city of Kolding the leader of the municipal health department, Helle Rasmussen, chaired the debate:

“The play was very effective in making the people in the audience discuss among themselves – in contrast to meetings with a lecturer, who rather inspire to questions,” Helle Rasmussen explains.

“Especially I noted that most of the audience was surprisingly ready to accept state interference, rules and regulations on matters concerning health. I would have expected them to argue much more for personal freedom,” she says and adds that a very good discussion between young people and older people about the alcohol habits of youth took place.

Humor in didactics

Another stage: Two actors of non-Danish origin are discussing. One is speaking with an exaggerated Middle Eastern accent that makes the audience - irrespective of nationality - laugh. He is asking his friend to force the friend’s sister to marry him – but the friend wants the sister to decide herself and support her in her desire for a proper education.

This is one of the ten separate “takes” in the play “In the name of love”, the recent production of “Opgang2”.

They also tour around Denmark playing in schools, housing estates, adult education centers. Along with the play they produce material that teachers and organizers can use for further teaching and discussion about the nationalities, cultures and religions, about the conflicts and about ways of solving them.

“Adult learning is also about active citizenship and about creating the conditions that can make different cultures live and act together. In that way our company is adult learning,” says Lise Orskov from “Opgang2”.

Both companies use humor and irony in their plays – which is probably a typical Danish didactic “trick” - but Lise Orskov stresses:

“Humor can be disarming and in that way make people listen, as long as it not ridiculing the persons or the cultures. When we make people laugh together we create new spaces for meetings.”

Future collaboration

In Kolding Helle Rasmussen plan to ask DOF and “Odsherred Teater” to organize shows at municipal and private workplaces: “In this way adult education associations, theater and public health can work together”, she says.