Since 2008 Grupo Gori Gori from Panama by artistic director Briceida Iglesias was part of the Theatre Embassy network. Theatre Embassy believes in the importance of intangible cultural heritage for every society and sustainable development in the world and was therefore happy to support this partner in Panama. The project was part of the Global Theater Connection program of the cultural development organization Theatre Embassy.
“Briceida Iglesias has the dream of realizing a Kuna Culture House in Panama City. The Kuna Indians are the indigenous people of this Central American country, but their cultural traditions and identities are under threat in present-day Panama. The knowledge and traditional practices of this indigenous community are slowly disappearing due to technology and globalization. With her group Gori Gori, Briceida has the objective of preserving, transferring and further developing Kuna cultural expressions through theatre, dance and poetry.”
Theatre group Gori Gori had a need for artistic and organizational reinforcement as they had no access to theatre or cultural management education in the region. This is mainly due to the previously described social exclusion of the Kuna Indians in Panamanian society. Gori Gori tried to strengthen the identity of the Kuna Indians with their activities.
Gori Gori wanted to develop a Manual of Theatre Training with young professional which would help the organization in future to train other people. The focus points of the manual were:
To use theatre as a learning medium
To establish a tradition of meaningful theatre
To use theatrical exercises as a metaphor for being exposed and sensitized to human rights issues
To be trained in theatre and utilizing it as a medium of collective and individual expression
To revive our rich cultural diversity through these theatrical exercises (embodying them in our own cultural and social context)
To be equipped with theatre as a developing tool
To sensitized people on arts education
To create insight among the trainees for observing, analyzing and reflecting over the external life through theatre training
Partner organization: Gori Gori
Executors TE: 1
Local artists: 10
Target group: Kuna Theatre group
Audience: Kuna Audience
Volunteers: –
Participating Organizations: –
Finances: PSO, Theatre Embassy.
Theme: basic theatre training for the native group.
Halfway cancelled
Fundraising concert in Vrijplaats Schijnheilig in Amsterdam, audience: 200
