The presentation of RESTORE, the first EU project to deal with the development of the professional figure of the Social Theatre Operator whose skills and competencies are still not adequately recognized in most European countries, has just ended at the press room of the Chamber of Deputies. RESTORE, which is the acronym of the project means “REcognition of the Social Theatre Operator as a professional to tackle the Risk of social Exclusion” aims to promote cooperation and exchange of good practices at European level as well as to increase opportunities and employability of professionals working in the field of social and community theatre.
Pascal La Delfa, President of Oltre Le Parole Onlus, along with Federico Mollicone, founder of the parliamentary intergroup “Culture and National Art” and Paolo Ciani, Vice President of VII Health and Social Policy Commission from Lazio Region, presented the project.
The leader of the project is the Italian association Oltre Le Parole Onlus which for over 15 years has been involved in the training of theatre operators in the social sector throughout the country with the aim of educating professionals who could work for social integration in their territories by using arts and theatre, in particular, as an instrument of expression, relationship, knowledge and well-being.
The European project involves six European countries including associations and other organisations of different nature with decades of experience in the social field: Comunità San Patrignano from Italy, Smashing Times association from Ireland, Teatr Grodzki from Poland, PELE association from Portugal, ProSoc association from Slovenia and Magenta Consultoria from Spain.
Associated partners of RESTORE project are: Università Roma Tre and the no-profit organisation DireFareCambiare.
The heart of the project is represented by the exchange of methodologies and good practices between partners which provides free pilot courses for social theatre operators involving about 1000 from the participating countries.
Pascal La Delfa, President of the association Oltre Le Parole Onlus in Rome, leader organisation of the RESTORE project, declared: “I am proud to reap the first important fruits of a work which has begun over twenty years ago. We have always been working in this direction because we strongly believe in the social value of theatre and in the need for connection and exchange of good practices and experiences between individuals working in the field at local level, away from the media spotlight and self-congratulatory conferences. In this sector, where we often work to be “exclusive”, we claim our openness and the need for continuous comparison with other professionals and European experiences, in order to better define our profession and above all our professionalism, which also means commitment and sense of responsibility. Theatre is always social.”
The presentation was exceptionally joined by Sergio Escobar, theatre director, academic and public manager, historical director of Piccolo Teatro in Milan.
The presentation at the Chamber of Deputies can be followed at the following link:
Press contact: comunicazionedfc@gmail.com
In the picture: Pascal la Delfa, President of Oltre Le Parole Onlus, Federico Mollicone founder of the parliamentary intergroup “Culture and National Art”, Dr. Paolo Ciani Lazio Region – Vice-President of the VII Health and Social Policy Commission, Patrizia Russi from the italian partner Comunità San Patrignano, Giulia Morello from the association DireFareCambiare, Domen Rakovic from the slovenian association Pro.Soc and Ines Lapa from the portuguese association PELE.