Research (Society for Anti-Discrimination Education, 2011; Campaign Against homophobia, 2012; Never Again Association, 2012) proves that empathy- and mutual understanding-targeted innovative methods are required in the field of preventing discrimination. International DICE study results prove that applied drama is one such method – yet it remains vastly unknown in Poland.
The project purpose was to introduce applied drama to anti-discrimination school curricula. The project allowed 282 teachers from 4 Polish regions (Lublin, Pomeranian, Podkarpackie, and Wielkopolska voivodships) to be taught the use of drama in preventing discrimination.
Anti-discrimination trainers working in the formal and informal education systems attended drama method training sessions; 69 teachers attended a 60-hour training course series focusing on the use of drama in preventing discrimination. Two hundred and thirteen teachers participated in 6 webinars on drama, discrimination, and hate speech at school. Regional summary seminars were attended by 139 persons. Project participants drafted 22 sample scripts for drama-based anti-discrimination classes. Eight hundred copies of the “Drama Empowerment” publication were published. A film describing the drama project and method was produced.
Seventeen anti-discrimination trainers and 282 teachers were trained. One hundred and thirty-nine persons were introduced to the drama method during regional seminars; 600 persons were provided with a hard copy of the publication, and 1,041 persons downloaded it from the project website in electronic format.