Immigrant research went to the bar
Social and participatory theatre addressing immigrant questions
Keywords:
maahanmuuttotutkimus, maahanmuuttajat, lähiö, soveltava teatteri, forumteatteriAbstract
In the beginning of 2017, a group of social scientists and dance and theatre professionals organised two immigration-themed events called Puhekupla (”speech bubble”) in a suburban bar in Helsinki, Finland. In the events, the questions of immigration were processed together with the bar clients, based on research
data by the means of performing arts. Social psychological research on immigrant identity and position in Finland, as well as on immigrants’ and native Finns’ ways of dealing with multiculturalism and membership in the Finnish society was used as background material. The objective was to approach this topical, and also controversial, subject through drama and discussion in a way that could, instead of confrontation, break down borders, produce unlikely encounters, genuinely reciprocal learning experiences, and new perspectives to all participants. Methodologically, the planning of the events was inspired by the methods of social and participative theatre, especially Augusto Boal’s theatrical approaches based on the audience participation, such as forum theater. In this text, we present the process that lead to the Puhekupla events, and reflect the accumulated experiences. Our aim is to make the process visible, consider its meanings as well as the moments of success and challenges, to learn and to inspire others. The text also provides a novel perspective to the popularisation of science. It is not only about conveying information to new audiences but also about a comprehensive process produced by academics and artists together with the audience, where socially significant issues are processed by the means of participatory theatre; utilising research data and
processing it further.
