Theatre Cube project: under the sign of discovery and emancipation of creativity

What if we saw the obstacle as a breeding ground for creation ?

This is what writer and theatre educator Anne Graswinckel advocates. Obstacles are everywhere, they allow us to go beyond the limits of our imagination, of our creative power. With the Theatre Cube project, Anne Graswinckel (Netherlands) and the National Kauna Drama Theatre invite teachers and young people to learn about the tools of theatre. More than an introduction to the world of theatre, it is an invitation to let go, to realize oneself.

Anne Graswinckel sees the theatre as a place where everything is possible, where the body is involved in the narrative. When you learn your lines, you also learn about yourself, about your way of being in the world. More than a storytelling process, there is an ethical and personal issue behind each play. The ‘Theatre Cube’ brings together all the objects and tools necessary to understand what theatre can do. The first phase of the project will start on 8-11 June 2021 and is an ideal format for introducing students from grades 1 to 8 to theatre.

What will we find in the Cube?

Everything needed to create a play, and everything needed to improvise as an actor. Pronunciation games, diction exercises and different texts will be available to the budding actors. The young people will be able to discover the material used by professionals, in terms of staging, but also of make-up.

But that’s not all. The Cube will also offer a more concrete, realistic aspect: the pupils will be able to use their knowledge of mathematics and calculate the dimensions of the sets, and make estimates of the prices of tickets, and also of advertising. This Cube is therefore in line with reality, while being very playful.

Around 50 cubes will be distributed to schools in Kaunas in 2022, in correlation with the European Capitals of Culture celebration. With this teaching tool, everything can be the subject of a story, calling on all disciplines. This is an aspect that Anne Graswinckel insists on: mathematics, literature, sport, all disciplines are in the theatre. The Cube will first have to win over the teachers, because they will be the ambassadors of this cultural project. They will be the ones who choose to integrate the Cube into their teaching programme. However educational and practical it may be, we have no doubt that the Cube will be a success. Bringing together literature, general culture, mathematics and artistic expression, the Cube is a very pedagogical school object, which makes the disciplines taught concrete.