A Brazilian pedagogical project for the teaching of the arts in the twenty-first century

Abstract

This article describes the origins of SP Escola de Teatro (SP Theatre School – Development Centre for Stage Arts), located in São Paulo (Brazil), and the pedagogical system developed by the Brazilian artists who founded it. The school aims to establish an innovative teaching method comprising the specificities and the cultural reality of the twenty-first century. At the beginning of 2000, when the theatre company Os Satyros arrived at Franklin Roosevelt Square, the area was then controlled by criminality, prostitution and drug trafficking. Due to the theatre projects developed by Os Satyros within the area, it was completely revitalised, attracting other theatrical groups to the square. Starting from the question ‘What would your dream theatre school be like?’, some of these artists devised a stage arts school, with eight regular courses (acting, dramaturgy, directing, light design, sound design, costumes and scenography, stage technician and mime), eventually funded by the State of São Paulo’s government. They devised a modular project, non-hierarchical and non-cumulative, in full consonance with the Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire’s principles, in which ‘those who teach also learn, and those who learn also teach’. Over the course of time, the school has been understanding through trial and error the best strategies to implement the project. This is especially true concerning the students’ role as active partners in the pedagogical process. The practical implementation of this principle caused many misunderstandings and over the years we have been learning how to deal with these challenges. However, many important contributions by students have made the school more dynamic and meaningful to all its members.