Dear friends as a member of the Board of Directors of PTO I want to invite you to participate in this

Call for Proposals

The 16th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (PTO) Conference

Austin, Texas, June 3-6, 2010
(with pre-conference and post-conference workshops TBA)

www.ptoweb.org
Hosted by: University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance and the PTO Austin 2010 Organizing Committee
“Flex and Flexibility:
When to bend? When to stretch? When to engage?”
Flex (verb)–1. To bend or bend repeatedly; 2. To tighten; 3. To contract (as with a muscle); 4. To tense (as with a muscle); 5. To move by muscular control; 6. To exhibit or show off the strength of; 7. To move a joint so that the parts it connects approach each other; 8. To engage (as with a muscle).
Flexibility (noun)–1. The capability of being bent, usually without breaking; 2. Susceptibility to modification or adaptation; 3. Adaptability; 4. Willingness to yield; 5. Pliability; 6. Elasticity, suppleness, limberness.
We are delighted to announce that the 16th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference, “Flex and Flexibility: When to bend? When to stretch? When to engage?,” will take place in Austin, Texas, USA, from June 3-6, 2010 (with pre-conference and post-conference workshops TBA).
We invite you to submit a proposal for a workshop, dialogue, paper (to be discussed rather than read), debate, performance, or demonstration that you would like to offer at the conference. We welcome proposals that address our theme as well as one (or more) of the following in some clear way:
1) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, coined and elaborated by Paulo Freire
2) Theatre of the Oppressed, coined and elaborated by Augusto Boal
3) Other forms of interactive arts and/or education that share PTO’s goal of promoting critical thinking and social justice
For example, presentations might include (but will not be limited to):

* Workshops of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Theatre of the Oppressed, or adaptations of those forms
* Case studies of Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Theatre of the Oppressed work
* Case studies of community organizing or community education projects
* Dialogues between activists, artists, and/or popular educators, etc.
* Case studies, workshops, or discussions of problem-posing education or popular education
* Explorations of issues central to oppression, oppressed peoples, or the politics of defining oppression in the first place
* Investigations of interactive performance, interactive education, and other facilitation techniques as tools for social and political engagement (We define performance broadly!)

Please note: Proposals that model interactive critical engagement and accessibility for multiple audiences will receive preference. Follow the instructions at the following link to submit your proposal by January 5, 2010.
http://www.ptoweb.org/cfp.html
Some questions to get your thinking on the theme started (though your proposal need not address all or most of these–just think of them as inspiration!): When a muscle flexes, it can demonstrate strength and firmness, but also the ability to bend, give, stretch, move, engage, etc. What is the value (and/or the potential cost) of flexibility in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Theatre of the Oppressed, and other forms of interactive arts and education promoting critical thinking and social justice? What does the word “flexibility” mean to you? How does it shape your educational and/or artistic practice? What are the potential possibilities and problems of exhibiting flexibility? When, if at all, might the pursuit of social justice call for flexing certain muscles? When, if ever, might it be most ethical not to bend, stretch, or engage? What environments and opportunities should Pedagogy of the Oppressed or Theatre of the Oppressed stretch themselves to fit? How do you know if or when you have stretched yourself, a group of collaborators, or a set of techniques too far?
How might we learn flexibility? How might we teach flexibility? When might flexibility threaten momentum, and when might it build momentum? How might power and privilege shape one’s ability to be flexible-or the ability to request flexibility from others? What is the relationship of flexibility to critical thinking? To genuine dialogic encounter? To building community or common ground? To collaboration? To accessibility? As educators, artists, activists, and community organizers, when do you flex, and when are you flexible?

The deadline for proposals is January 5, 2010. Questions? Contact Kelly Howe at kellybhowe@yahoo.com or Amanda Hashagen at amanda@theatreactionproject.org.
Information about accommodations, keynote guests, a pre-conference workshop with Julian Boal, and post-conference workshops will follow on the website very soon! Keep checking the website for more information throughout the year. Also, consider becoming a fan of Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed on Facebook and getting updates that way, too. We hope to see you in Austin!
Again, you can find out how to submit your proposal here:

http://www.ptoweb.org/cfp.html
Sincerely,
Kelly Howe, Co-Chair, UT-Austin
Amanda Hashagen, Co-Chair, Theatre Action Project
On behalf of the PTO Austin 2010 Organizing Committee and the PTO Board
Presentation Formats

Unless otherwise noted, all sessions are 90 minutes in length.

*
Theatre of the Oppressed Workshops: Using TO. Workshops based directly on the work of Augusto Boal that use TO in the presentations. Request 1 or 2 90-minute sessions.
*
Theatre of the Oppressed Workshops: Techniques. Workshops based directly on the work of Augusto Boal that focus on the techniques of TO. Request 1 or 2 90-minute sessions.
*
Pedagogy of the Oppressed Workshops. Experiential activities that include audience involvement, presentations, and new techniques. Request 1 or 2 90-minute sessions.
*
Performances. Staged plays, musical arrangements, comedy motifs, dances, etc. Request 1 or 2 90-minute sessions
*
Debates or Dialogues. Discussions of any aspect of liberatory education by two or more presenters. All presenters must have agreed to participate and be part of the proposal.
*
Panel. Pre-formed group of 3-4 presentations addressing a specific area of liberatory work.
*
Paper Discussion. Summary of research or issue, delivered from notes. (Papers should NOT be read.) Each presentation should last approximately 10-12 minutes, excluding discussion. We will cluster papers in groups of 3-4 with time for dialogue.

The submission form for the call for proposals will open on November 30th, 2009!

Kelly Howe
PhD Candidate
Performance as Public Practice Program
Department of Theatre and Dance
University of Texas at Austin
—
President-Elect, Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (PTO at www.ptoweb.org)
Co-Chair, 16th Annual PTO Conference, Austin, TX, USA–June 2010