The term "human rights" refers to those rights that are considered universal to humanity, regardless of citizenship, residency status, ethnicity, gender, or other considerations. These rights are much related to our identity and fundamental to build a world of hope and progress. BITA’s thought concentrates on the expansion of human rights culture that portrays the concept - every human being in the world is entitled to get similar dignity and rights, freedom to live and flourish - an integral part of beliefs and practices of individuals. Gradual progression of individual’s progress would cement the norms and practices in the society and state. Hence human rights culture is a relentless effort to introduce and incline the human rights norms and messages through building sound perception and accomplishment among the people.

In expanding the culture of human rights, we must focus and work on human rights education broadly.

BITA thinks human rights education a major tool in changing the human rights situation in our country. To promote human right education, BITA innovated TIE - an empowering educational means to educate the common people especially young learners.

TIE process involves the people in learning human rights as well as other development issues like agriculture, health, environment etc. in an open and entertaining environment.

BITA initiative through TIE focusing human rights

Theatre-In-Education has long been used as exploratory tool in development. It has also accounted for a Means of Moral Education and Socialization which is well rationalized by all level of young and adults.

Theatre in Education a new dimension of theatrical presentation which is majorly concentrates in class room based preformance and includes all the interactive theatre practices that help supporting the educational process.

TIE is a globally recognized process of enhancing the knowledge and information of people and/or children through a composite learning process. Hence this process could be a means of education for common people as the process instills trust and confidence instead of spreading fear and uneasiness. Hence the process has potentiality to propagate ideas and thoughts on people’s rights, interests and liberation through education.

From early nineties Bangladesh Institute of Theatre Arts (BITA) has taken prime steps in exploring Theatre In Education (TIE) as an educational form for young people. BITA emphasized on formulating communicative message both to entertain and educate children of both schools and communities. For BITA’s programmatic base, TIE has got the significant acceptance as a holistic learning process of two way communications between instructor and the learner.

As result of its success of reaching young people’s heart with messages, the intervention has been included in cultural promotion core program.

Why BITA initiated Theatre in Education?

Theatre assists all children in gaining confidence and a better sense of self-esteem. The activities included in Theatre in the classroom can be used as an add-on or even an integral part of a regular curriculum. Based on such reflection, BITA from its beginning epoch endeavored to carry out the interactive learning process for disseminating and exchanging information and knowledge amongst the school students. For this purpose, BITA targeted the marginalized and disadvantaged rural and semi-urban area, where the traditional method in education system is going on. BITA is acclaimed as a pioneer organization for introducing TIE to support classroom based education method.

Earlier, through in depth study BITA observed that the teaching method of our country is one-way. The active participation of the students is limited and cultural initiatives are totally absent in most schools.

Since, the learners do not find hilarity and entertainment in their lessons, they gradually lose their interest in classroom that contributes them to be dropped out from school as well as withdrawn from lesson. Subsequently, these groups of children are being engaged with child labor or with worse form of earnings. As the consequence of this circumstance, generally the lower income class families are sufferers. The situation argues that it is indispensable to bring about a change in overall teaching method in our classroom based education. Moreover the dropped out or non school going children should be included in learning and information exchanging process. Initially, only the academic curriculum based topics were included in TIE. Gradually some other issues have been included like mother land, environment, nature, climate, Human Rights, history, discrimination, protection of children and women, women education, trafficking, juvenile crime, reproductive health etc.

What is the basic goal and objective of TIE?

BITA aims to build up a social education process for children by enhancing their knowledge centering Human Rights development through blissful theatrical approach. BITA sets 3 specific outcomes as follows: Deliver Human Rights based information aiming to create the awareness among the school going children in a joyful learning process. Intensify the knowledge level of the children through their meaningful participation in cultural initiatives. Diffusion of Human Rights Education amongst the participants How do you think about the dispersion of TIE in BITA’s periphery?

BITA started TIE in it’s working area since 1995. In the course of time, BITA could address more than 25,000 children from 100 schools approximately. In terms of geographical coverage, the initiative has been tested and implemented in greater Chittagong Area and Chittagong Hill Tracts and coastal areas of Bangladesh.

How BITA undergo with TIE process and Tools? BITA designed Theatre In Education Process undergoing with 4 major steps like Pre-preparation, Implementation, Show Dissemination and Post Show Activities.

The whole process may be figured out as below:

Transformative role of TIE: From Learning to Action

Human rights education is the central point of TIE. The course has been designed conceiving the selected themes based on human rights with interactive and learner centered participatory approaches that includes Brainstorming, Meditation, Group discussion, Case study, Role play, Debate, Mime, Puppet and Experience sharing etc. Most of the techniques are experiential, reflective and action-oriented followed by analytical debriefing to sensitize the participants. The process is based on continuous traveling between the heart and the head rediscovering feelings and understandings of individuals. The process includes a cycle of a change in human mind by which the participants will be able to identify their role and responsibilities and can facilitate action against any kind of human rights violation or promote human rights culture in the society.

Progression and scale up of TIE

A distinct process module has been developed. Other organizations alike BITA are using these modules effectively.

1. The TIE intervention by BITA has got the momentum and acknowledgement in international periphery.

2. A regional network namely Asian Regional Theatre and Education Network has been developed with the participation of those organizations who are dealing with TIE.

3. It has got the entity as a distinctive communication media for learning and teaching.

4. The respective teachers group showed their keenness and claim to incorporate TIE in their teacher training curriculum

   What is the dream to waying forward this process?

A remarkable and radical change is required within the education system of our country. BITA believes it will only be possible whenever a progressive national education policy will be implemented duly. It is imperative to incorporate such an entertaining teaching method to be promoted in the education policy.

Since, some Public Universities acquired the competencies about institutional theatre education, but they need to get an access or opportunity to explore the learners’ skill through practicum. BITA aims to widen the access of practical field for these sorts of academician, theatre practitioners and think-tank.

BITA endeavors to take necessary initiatives by which a role model acceptance would be attained within the frontier of education policy.

BITA also spreads the process for exchanging knowledge and information amongst the children of community who has dropped out from school or never went to school.

From the perspective of indigenous and ethnic communities, the classroom based education system has to face a threatening since the deliverable lingual gap does exist. Moreover, the indispensability of teaching mother tongue is pre-requisite for the development of human capital in these localities. BITA seems that Theatre in Education process is a significant and relevant media for maneuvering the present stipulation.

Conclusion

The opportunity in achieving the transformation of human rights culture in the society is only possible when people know their rights and stand for their entitlement. In order to happen this, human rights education, is a prerequisite at the community level. This education helps people to look at themselves as change agents. Human rights education is a participatory practice aimed at empowering individuals, groups and communities through fostering knowledge, skills and attitudes consistent with internationally recognized human rights principles. So, youth are the key to this process. And Theatre in Education can be a best model for fostering human rights education in the society. Thus a way, this dimension of rights education through cultural presentation plays a vital role in building social structures that support participatory democracies in the society.

About Author

Mr. Sisir Dutta is working with BITA as Executive Director since its inception. For last 35 years, he has long been working as cultural activist at different field of performing arts. For developing the institution as culture based rights organization, he has visited many international institutions like PETA (Philippines Educational Theatre Association), East West Centre, University of Hawaii, Afro Asia Institution, Gottingen University, Germany, Heinrich Boll Foundation, Germany, Taswane University of South Africa, ODEN Theatre, Denmark, Dignity International, Equitas (Canadian Human Rights Education Centre) and delivered seminar paper, attended conference, moderated cultural presentation and meet with dignitaries in the field of arts, culture and human rights. He has learned various works around the world which has enlighten his views and enriched his experience. And he has incorporated his new experiences to his work every time back home. One of his major visions in cultural front is to establish the rights and dignity of grass roots rural artists to our national cultural platform. He has edited a number of publications in our language which helps the young generations specially the cultural workers to develop their capacities and skills on theatres and arts. He is also working on Theatre Education process in Asia Region by building a network ARTEN (Asia Regional Theatre Education Network) and presently representing as Chair of the network.

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