What Does Democracy Look Like?

A Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop Series
Free intro session: Tues, Oct 4th, 2017 • 7–9PM
3-part series follows: Oct 11th, 18th, and 25th
at the Rotunda • 4014 Walnut St. Philadelphia
Series tuition: $25–$55 sliding scale
Worktrade available upon request
Pre-register via "tophilly@gmail.com"

The word "democracy" literally means "the people rule." Yet many people in the U.S. and elsewhere feel powerless inside their local, state, and national democratic processes. In recent decades, activists have protested governments and trade organizations with the slogan, "This is what democracy looks like!" But given the circumstances of our upcoming election, what alternatives do we actually have? What other models for direct democracy are out there? How has democracy manifest in other communities, locations, and times? And what do these democratic systems actually look like?

Join T.O. Philly on Tuesday nights in October 2016 to ask these questions. We'll examine democratic systems of the past and present, and use theatre games, discussions, and techniques to highlight their strengths and shortcomings toward proposing new systems that could manifest in the future. Between sessions we'll offer things to read, listen to, and watch to deepen this work. All experiences are welcome.

Pre-register for these workshops with an email to "tophilly@gmail.com", or call 267-282-1057. October 4th's intro session will led by Hariprasad Kowtha, followed by a 3-part series, led by Morgan FitzPatrick Andrews. The intro session is free, tuition for the whole series is sliding scale, $25-$55. Worktrade is available upon request.

Unpacking Race • Fall 2016

A workshop series about undoing racism

Mondays 7–9PM • Oct 17, Oct 24, Nov 7, Nov 14

Circle of Hope, 3800 Marlton Pike, Pennsauken, NJ

Tuition is sliding scale: $45-$145 for the full series

To pre-register, email "tophilly@gmail.com"

You can also email us to inquire about carpooling!

On Monday nights this fall we bring back our popular series on race and racism.  Over the course of four weeks we'll explore this topic through a variety of exercises, discussions, and techniques from the Theatre of the Oppressed, supplemented by things to read and do between sessions. Our aim is to unlearn the systemic racism we’ve been taught throughout our lives, to heal from racial privilege and oppression, and to offer starting points for structural and personal change in ourselves, our communities, and our world. 

The Fall 2016 Unpacking Race Series will be led by a pair of facilitators (read about them below.) Because space is limited and each week's ideas build toward the next, we ask that participants commit to coming to all four sessions. Tuition is sliding scale: $45-$145, payable at the first session. To sign up, email "tophilly@gmail.com" or leave a message at 267-282-1057. You can also contact us about sharing rides to and from the workshop.

COLLABORATORS

Paloma N. Irizarry and Ariel Morales have also been instrumental in designing this curriculum for T.O. Philly's Unpacking Race series. Ariel laid the foundations for Unpacking Race and co-led our previous series in 2013, and Paloma did the same for our series in the winter of 2016.