Wir sind jetzt eine akkreditierte Organisation bei Erasmus+ in der Projektrunde 2021-2027. Mit unserem Erasmus-Plan verfolgen wir folgende Ziele
Ziel 1: Nachhaltige Organisationsentwicklung im TdU Wien sowie nachhaltige und regenerative Arbeit seines Personals
Ziel 2: Europaweite professionelle Netzwerke und Best Practice Austausch zu unseren Themenschwerpunkten schaffen
Ziel 3: Innovative Weiterentwicklung unseres theaterpädagogischen Angebots in der Erwachsenenbildung
Wir entsenden unsere Mitarbeitenden und Lernenden nach ganz Europa um sich im Sinne dieser Ziele weiterzubilden.
Budget 2023
Group mobility: Non-Festival 16-20/08/2023
Ein weiterer Sommer, eine weitere Ausgabe des Non-Festivals. Doch dieses Jahr sah alles ganz anders aus als in den Vorjahren. Zwei Wochen vor dem Non-Festival wurde Slowenien von schweren Regenfällen und Überschwemmungen heimgesucht. Große Teile des Landes standen unter Wasser, darunter auch unser geliebtes Gornji Grad, und verursachten enorme Schäden an der Infrastruktur und am Land. Wie Sie auf den Bildern unten sehen, ist das Gornji Grad, das wir kennen, kaum wiederzuerkennen und zu beschädigt, um das diesjährige Non-Festival auszurichten. Die slowenische Gruppe bewies unglaubliche Fähigkeiten im Krisenmanagement und schaffte es, das Festival innerhalb von weniger als zwei Wochen nach Ljubljana zu verlegen. Und so fand die 11. Ausgabe des Festivals in Ljubljana statt, im PLAC, einem besetzten Haus für kulturelle Veranstaltungen.
Ein weiteres Jahr, in dem sich TdU-Praktiker aus aller Welt trafen, stand in diesem Jahr unter dem Motto „Räume des Mutes“. Neben einem grundlegenden TdU Bilder & Forum Theater Track, waren die Gruppen eingeladen, ihre Forum-Performances mitzubringen und sie im Laboratory Track zu überarbeiten. An den Nachmittagen gab es verschiedene Workshops zu Maskentheater, Schattentheater und Improvisation. Das Abendprogramm war gefüllt mit Forum-Performances, die die TdU-Gruppen mitgebracht hatten, sowie mit verschiedenen Konzerten, Kabaretts und Improvisationen.
Another summer, another edition of the Non-Festival. But this year, things looked very different from previous years. Two weeks before Non-Festival was to take place, heavy rain and floods hit Slovenia. Large parts of the country were under water, including our beloved Gornji Grad, causing enormous damages to the infrastructure and land. As you see in the pictures below, the Gornji Grad we know is hard to recognise, and too damaged to host this year’s Non-Festival. The Slovenian group proved themselves with incredible crisis management skills and managed to re-locate the festival to Ljubljana within less than two weeks. And so, the 11th edition of the festival took place in Ljubljana, in PLAC, a squat for cultural events.
Another year of meeting TO practicitioners from all over, this years theme was Spaces of Courage. Next to a basic TO Image & Forum Theatre track, the groups had been invited to bring their Forum performances and re-work them in the Laboratory track. In the afternoons, there were various workshops on mask theatre, shadow theatre and improv. The evening program was filled with Forum performances the TO groups brought, as well as various concerts, cabarets and improv.
Invited Expert: Robert Klement 29/02-3/03/2024
TRAUM-, VISIONS, STRATEGIEWOCHENENDE
Wir dachten über TdU auf vier Ebenen nach und ordneten verschiedene Themen/Aufgaben/Umstände/Herausforderungen in die folgenden vier Körbe ein – wobei wir uns am Sonntag auf
den Limitkorb konzentrierten:
SCHATZ – was sind die Ressourcen und positiven Eigenschaften von TdU, die für uns nahrhaft und wertvoll sind.
AKZEPTANZ – was sind Umstände/Themen, von denen wir meinen, dass sie nicht wirklich geändert werden können und akzeptiert werden müssen?
KOMPROMISS – Umstände/Themen, von denen wir das Gefühl haben, dass sie auf lange Sicht (im nächsten Jahr und darüber hinaus) angegangen und bearbeitet werden müssen.
LIMIT – Umstände/Probleme, die wir für sehr dringend und dringlich halten und die sofort angegangen werden müssen.
(Eva Bayomy)
DREAM, VISION, STRATEGY WEEKEND
We thought about TO on four levels and categorized different topics/tasks/circumstances/challenges into the following four baskets – focusing on Sunday on the limit basket on Sunday:
TREASURE – what are the resources and positive attributes of OP that are nourishing and valuable to us.
ACCEPTANCE – what are circumstances/issues that we feel can’t really be changed and need to be accepted?
COMPROMISE – circumstances/issues that we feel need to be addressed and dealt with in the long term (next year and beyond).
LIMIT – Circumstances/issues that we feel are very urgent and need to be addressed immediately.
(Eva Bayomy)
Invited Expert: Liza Urbanova 8-12/05/2024
Im Rahmen der TdU Academy 2024 haben wir Liza Urbanova eingeladen. Sie leitete einen Workshop zum Thema:
Unter den Flügeln des Theaters
„Nicht jede Erfahrung, die wir im Leben machen, nicht alles, was uns widerfährt, kann anderen mit gemeinsamen Worten mitgeteilt werden. Und doch würde es so oft helfen, wenn die Menschen die Geschichten der anderen kennen würden, die ihren Lebensraum teilen – Klassenzimmer, Schule, Arbeitsplatz, Haus, Flure, Straßen, System, Sprache, Nation, Land, Kontinent, Planet, …. Wir würden besser leben, wenn wir mehr darüber wüssten, was sich hinter den Handlungen anderer verbirgt, woher sie kommen und was ihre Beweggründe sind, welche Emotionen damit verbunden sind und welche Folgen sie haben könnten. Wir würden besser leben, wenn wir unsere eigenen Geschichten erzählen könnten. Wir würden besser leben, wenn wir uns gegenseitig besser verstehen würden und wenn wir gemeinsam die Kraft nutzen könnten, die aus einem solchen Verständnis erwächst. Es scheint jedoch, dass manche Dinge in ihrer ganzen Tragweite mit gewöhnlichen Worten nicht erklärbar sind. Aber das bedeutet nicht unbedingt, dass sie nicht trotzdem erzählt werden können. […] Auf unserer gemeinsamen Reise werden wir nach Antworten suchen: Wie man einen sicheren Raum schafft, wie man mit Energie arbeitet, wie man mit dem Atem arbeitet, welche Möglichkeiten die Stimme, der Klang oder der Rhythmus haben, wie man den Körper sprechen lässt. Wie wir das Theatralische für uns kommunizieren lassen, wie wir daraus Kraft schöpfen und wie wir es für uns selbst nutzen können, um besser und sicherer mit dem realen theatrum mundi umzugehen. „ (Liza Urbanova)
As part of the TdU Academy 2024 we invited Liza Urbanova. She facilitated a workshop on the topic:
Under the wings of the theatre
„Not every experience we have in life, not everything that happens to us can be communicated to others with common words. Yet it would so often help if people knew the stories of others who share their living space – classroom, school, job, house, hallways, streets, system, language, nation, country, continent, planet, …. We would live better if we understood more about what lies behind the actions of others, what is it’s source and motivations, what emotions are attached to them, and what the consequences might be. We would live better if we could tell our own stories. We would live better if we understood each other better and if we could harness together the power that comes from such understanding. However it seems that some things are in their breadth inexplicable in common words. But that does not necessarily mean that they cannot still be told. […] On our journey together we will look for some answers : How to create a safe space, how to work with energy, how to work with breath, what are the possibilities of voice, sound or rhythm, how to let your body speak. How to make theatricality communicate for us, how to draw power from it, and how to use it for ourselfs to better and safely deal with the real theatrum mundi. “ (Liza Urbanova)
Group Mobility: Phehnix 7-11/08/2024
In Tschechien hatten wir eine Learning Mobility mit dem Ziel: Erarbeitung eines immersiven Theaterstücks, das sich mit der Vergangenheit der teilnehmenden Länder auseinandersetzt und dabei einen Fokus auf die Zeit kurz vor und während des Nationalsozialismus legt. Dramaturgische, methodische und regietechnische Co-Leitung durch die tschechische Partnernorganisation und TdU Wien. Lernziel: Immersives Theater, Auseinandersetzung mit historischen Fakten und Bezug zu dem Heute (Rechtsruck in Europa) mit der Frage: was können wir aus der Vergangenheit lernen? Können und dürfen wir damals und heute unterscheiden?
In the Czech Republic, we had a learning mobility with the aim of developing an immersive theater play that deals with the past of the participating countries and focuses on the period shortly before and during National Socialism. Dramaturgical, methodological and directorial co-management by the Czech partner organization and TdU Vienna. Learning objective: Immersive theater, confrontation with historical facts and reference to the present (shift to the right in Europe) with the question: what can we learn from the past? Can and should we differentiate between then and now?
Group Mobility: Non-Festival 22-25/08/2024
Das Non-Festival wurde am Mittwoch, dem 21. August 2024, mit einem Nachmittags-/Abendprogramm eröffnet. An den darauffolgenden Abenden wird es Forumsaufführungen von lokalen und ausländischen Gruppen des Theaters der Unterdrückten geben. Wir planen auch Aktivitäten von PLAC, das uns das zweite Jahr in Folge beherbergt. Das Non-Festival wird am Samstag, dem 24. August 2024, mit einer abschließenden, von allen Teilnehmern gemeinsam organisierten Theaterintervention im öffentlichen Raum gekrönt, gefolgt von der unverzichtbaren Abschlussparty.
The non-festival opened on Wednesday 21 August 2024 with an afternoon/evening programme. The following evenings will include forum performances by local and visiting Theatre of the Oppressed groups, and we are also planning to include activities by PLAC, which is hosting us for the second year in a row. The non-festival will be crowned on Saturday 24 August 2024 with a final theatrical intervention in a public space, jointly organized by all participants, followed by the indispensable closing party.
Long-term Learning Mobility: Laurena Delmarle 2/09-1/11/2024
(c) Têtes de l’art
Group mobility: Herbst Retreat 31/10-3/11/2024
This group mobility activity offered a four-day immersive learning experience using Theatre of the Oppressed (TdU) methods to strengthen social and political engagement among adult learners. The training was designed for adult learners from diverse backgrounds, with a strong interest in social justice topics, such as climate change, anti-fascism, and anti-discrimination work. Participants engaged in a structured, interactive programme hosted by Centrum divadla utlačovaných in the Czech Republic, delivered through participatory theatre exercises, reflection sessions, and creative movement.
The programme focuses on the following key elements:
1. Empowerment through Reflection: Participants critically reflect on their social positioning, personal values, and motivations for activism through the session “My Place in This World”.
2. Skill Development through Practice: Learners practice improvisation and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques in hands-on workshops addressing real-world social challenges, helping them to develop practical facilitation skills and strategies for activism (“The Challenges”, “My and Our Power”).
3. Introspection and Emotional Awareness: Using the Rainbow of Desires method, participants explore personal fears, desires, and internalised oppression, fostering greater emotional intelligence and collective understanding (“Fears and Desires: Rainbow”).
4. Connecting Body and Political Expression: Participants engage in creative bodywork and movement sessions to explore the connection between physical expression and political engagement, strengthening their confidence and stage presence (“My Next Steps”).
5. Community Building and International Exchange: The activity promotes transnational dialogue, mutual learning, and best-practice sharing between Austrian and Czech facilitators and learners.
This activity directly supports the sending organisation’s objectives of organisational sustainability, international networking, and innovative pedagogical development.
Short-Term Learning Mobility: Anna-Emilia Forck 3/02-28/02/2025
Budget 2024
Clown Mobility in Valencia 19/03-24/03/2025
From 19 to 24 March 2025, a group of adult learners from TO Vienna participated in an intensive educational mobility programme in Valencia, hosted by Asociación Valentia Scientia. The participants, aged between 25 and 35, came from diverse educational and professional backgrounds and shared a common interest in performing arts—particularly clowning and street theatre—as tools for self-expression and civic engagement.
The training was designed to foster key educational outcomes such as collaborative learning, creative development, intercultural exchange, and critical reflection. Through a structured six-day programme, learners engaged in artistic, physical, and reflective activities that encouraged the development of both individual competencies and group cohesion.
Educational Content & Learning Process:
- Days 1–2: Foundations of Group Learning
The learners began by establishing group agreements, shared values, and a collective framework for cooperation. Using playful and embodied methods—including icebreakers, vocal exercises, and movement work—they developed trust, communication, and awareness of group dynamics. A workshop on facilitation and collective care enabled participants to understand how group processes can be intentionally shaped to support learning and inclusion. - Day 3–4: Thematic and Artistic Development
The educational focus shifted toward artistic creation grounded in social themes. Learners explored dramaturgy in clowning, using improvisation and physical theatre to investigate the emotional and symbolic dimensions of performance. Together, they selected a social issue to address and collaboratively devised a performance concept. Activities included documentation, research, and the creation of visual and performative elements (props, costumes, makeup), offering practical experience in transforming abstract themes into accessible public messages. - Day 5: Public Clowning Performance
Learners implemented their knowledge by performing their co-created piece in a public space. This real-world application served as a culmination of the learning process, reinforcing skills in communication, group coordination, emotional expression, and interaction with diverse audiences. - Day 6: Reflection and Educational Consolidation
The final day was dedicated to structured reflection. Through group discussions and individual feedback sessions, learners reviewed their educational journey, identified personal growth areas, and shared insights gained during the week. They also discussed possible future applications of their learning in community or educational contexts back home.
Pedagogical Methods:
- Experiential learning through physical theatre and improvisation
- Collaborative decision-making and group facilitation
- Peer learning, storytelling, and exchange with local communities
- Reflective practice to support knowledge integration
- Real-life application through public performance
Educational Outcomes:
- Strengthened facilitation and teamwork skills
- Improved ability to use artistic tools for social expression
- Greater intercultural competence and awareness
- Enhanced confidence in public speaking and performance
- Deepened understanding of collaborative creative processes
The mobility provided adult learners with a meaningful and transformative educational experience, empowering them to use performance as a medium for engagement, reflection, and community building. Supported by experienced facilitators, the learners gained not only technical skills but also valuable insights into the role of art in education and activism.
Course CLOWN y su MASCARAS 27/01-07/02/2025
Clown through Mask
27 th of January – 7th of February 2025
with Francesca Zannier
in Artic Theatre Sabadell
The workshop is based on a methodology created by Richard Pochinko and Sue Morrison. The work is gaining that the participants are getting closer to the proper essence of themselves. In trusting the process, it aims to let go of the social masks that are limitating the true being. It is about feeling true emotions and riding them in waves, showing feelings without fear and learingn to reconnect with the own intuition.
My personal process is dealing with saying what I think even if it is not polite. Respecting my limits and capacities. Saying no in order to say yes to myself. Trusting in my own knowledge. Stop doubting my own choices and wishes. Acceptingg to feel dark emotions like shame and rage. Finding my proper tempo again. Finding joy in being slow.
Long-term learning mobility in Granada 17/03-11/05/2025
PRIMAVERA 2025 – El universo Clown
17. März – 11. Mai
Clown Poetico, Piero Partigianoni
El Semillero, escuela internacional de clown, Granada
Ein Erfahrungsbericht von Julia Fuchsig: Willkommen zur Achterbahnfahrt!
Zwei Monate lang Tag für Tag spielen, in Gefühlswelten eintauchen, auf der Bühne stehen, ohne zu wissen was passiert, sich halb totlachen, vor lauter Müdigkeit durchdrehen, sich in den Spiegel schauen, massiert werden, die eigene Stimme erkunden, weinen, Körpertheater Techniken lernen, einfach tanzen, sich selbst und den Raum in der Dunkelheit entdecken, Objekte erkunden und so weiter und so fort.
Der 8-wöchige Kurs „Universo Clown“ ist der erste Teil einer Trilogie und beginnt mit einem 6-wöchigen Kurs, in dem sich alles darum dreht zu Fühlen und Teilen, was in dem Moment präsent ist. Dabei ist es nicht das Ziel, das Publikum zum Lachen zu bringen, sondern mit der eigenen Gefühlswelt und Poesie das Publikum zu berühren. Klingt simple, ist in Realität aber weit entfernt von einfach. In einer Gruppe von 20 unterschiedlich erfahrenen Clowns allen Alters und Hintergründen haben wir uns in unserem Clown gespielt und entdeckt, angeleitet von Piero, dem Gründer der Schule. Zusätzlich dazu haben uns jede Woche unterschiedliche Lehrer:innen begleitet, um uns in unserem Prozess zu unterstützen – mit Atmung, Stimme, Objekt- und Körpertheater-Praxis. Montag ist Show-Tag – insgesamt entspricht das vier Solo-Performances, die eigenständig zu vorgegebenen Themen ausgearbeitet werden.
Die letzten 2 Wochen sind einem Show-Kreationsprozess gewidmet und haben sich stark von dem Kurs unterschieden. Insgesamt hat unsere Gruppe 10 Clown Nummern kreiert– in Solos, Duos und Trios. Piero begleitet den Show-Prozess, allerdings ist jede Partie eigenständig und selbst verantwortlich. Von Bühnenbild über Dramaturgie, Technik und Sound, sich in der eigenen Szenerie verlieren und Spaß am Spiel – es ist ein intensiver und lehrreicher Prozess. Gemeinsam mit einer Freundin habe ich rund 100 Stunden an dem Stück „La ultima fresa“ gewerkelt, welches wir im Mai 2025 drei Mal aufgeführt haben. Die nächste Performance findet im Juni 2025 bei der Degrowth Konferenz in Oslo statt.
Zu den Lernerfahrungen zählen unter anderem Stage Präsenz, Clown Prinzipien, Feedback und Kritik, Techniken des Körper- und Objekttheaters, Selbsterfahrung und Konfrontation mit emotionalen Prozessen, Kontakt mit dem Publikum, Interkulturelle Auseinandersetzung sowie Community Building und Networking.
Gute Sprachkenntnisse in Spanisch sind empfehlenswert, aber nicht Voraussetzung.
Eine Reise für Clown Beginners, Profis und alles dazwischen und außerhalb. Ein sicherer Ort, sich zu entdecken, entfalten und die:den eigene:n Clown:in weiterzuentwickeln.
Short-Term Learning Mobility 4/08-12/08/2025
As a member of the Rebel Clowning Group of TdU, I (Caterina) got the chance to participate in an educational mobility programme in Berlin, hosted by arthaus Berlin.
From the 4th until the 12th of August I was at arthaus and got to know new approaches to Clowning and performing as a Clown.
In these 9 days I participated in guided sessions (by Jonathan Young) in the method of “Clown through Mask” and went on a personal, emotional and performative journey that led me to new discoveries about myself and clowning. In the group sessions, we were guided through exercises that worked with imagination, colourwork, physical expression and sound. The first days were focused on getting to
know the type of work that Jonathan does and to get to know some structures of the exercises that were repeated during the week. We also started to make two individual masks with which we would work later in the week. The next days were filled with personal journeys that were emotionally intense and helped create a very honest and
vulnerable atmosphere that helped me a lot in the last days, where we focused on performing on stage with characters that we developed through experiencing the masks in exercises and improvisations.
I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and for receiving very valuable support from Theatre of the Oppressed Vienna and arthaus Berlin! It is very enriching that TO can offer this mobility support to their members and through those, other members of their groups will profit from new experiences, methods and perspectives. I look forward to sharing my experiences with the wonderful TO Clown Group and to connecting with arthaus and the people and clowns I met there again in the future!
Group Mobility to Rome, Ostia 17/10-19/10/2025
Our InkubaTOr group went on mobility to Teatro del Lido Ostia to learn about participatory project design and sustainable community building in adult education #erasmusplus. We are impressed to learn about the work of our partner and are already planning how to implement their insights in Vienna… stay tuned.
Herbst Retreat Budapest 31/10-2/11/2025
These were wonderful days that we had in Budapest. Working with Theatre of the Oppressed and Playback theatre with our partner organisation Pepita Playback Theatre on how to make steps out of the burnout culture we are living it. Personal healing and political activism combined at its best!
Budget 2025
Group Mobility of Clowns in Ostia, Rome 31/03-06/04/2026
From March 31 to April 6, 2026, TO Vienna is collaborating with Associazione Culturale Affabulazione in Rome for an Erasmus+ group mobility centered on artistic action and political engagement.
What the Program Entails
Designed for adult learners passionate about social change, this 7-day physical exchange uses Theatre of the Oppressed and clowning techniques to tackle critical social and political issues, such as climate change, fascism, and discrimination.
Rather than shying away from difficult themes, participants learn how to use clowning, physical props, and street theater dramaturgy to explore complex topics—such as the symbolism of fences, social exclusion, and war—in public spaces.
Core Learning Modules
- The Symbolism of the Fence: Mapping geopolitical borders and mental barriers to understand their impact on peace.
- Clowning in Difficult Spaces: Using clown logic and humor to approach sensitive political realities.
- Dramaturgy of Street Theatre: Structuring site-specific performances that engage diverse public audiences.
- Rehearsal & Street Performance: Refining routines with physical props as political metaphors, leading to a live public performance in Rome.
- Reflection & Transfer: Evaluation sessions focused on applying these methods back to local initiatives in Vienna.
Group Mobility: Spring Retreat 24/04-26/04/2026
From April 24 to April 26, 2026, TO Vienna is partnering with Centrum divadla utlačovaných in the Czech Republic for an intensive Erasmus+ exchange focused on somatic practices, activism, and community resilience.
What the Program Entails
Designed for adult learners active in political and cultural education, this 3-day workshop explores how body-centered awareness can strengthen social change efforts. Participants dive into Generative Somatics and Theatre of the Oppressed to explore how we process societal pressure, analyze systemic oppression, and maintain long-term sustainability in activist spaces.
Core Learning Modules
- Generative Somatics & Resilience: Practicing breathwork, centering, and exploring conditioned tendencies to remain grounded under activist pressure.
- Theatre of the Oppressed Laboratory: Using Image Theatre and Forum Theatre to movement-map and externalize systemic struggles.
- Merging TO & Somatics: Combining movement, circus arts, and theater to address intra-collective conflicts and foster collective healing.
- Reflection & Action Planning: Strategizing next steps and integrating somatic tools into daily local initiatives.
Invited Expert: Mariana Villani 31/05-05/06/2026
Our travel packages typically include accommodation, transportation, and some guided tours. Check the details to see what’s specifically covered for each package.
