Փոփոխությունների թատրոն/ Theatre for Changes cultural NGO’s next stop was village Tsoghamarg – this time with their “Agravadzor’s Mayor’s Office” performance. This interactive performance is about Nazik – a scarecrow from Agravadzor village, who decided to get her education in a big city and open her own farm back in their village afterwards, however, both her husband scarecrow Seto and the village mayor are against this decision, which leads to a heated conflict at the mayor’s office. This funny, and at the same time educational performance is tackling equal rights for men and women, the importance of women’s education and eliminating discrimination around it.
The heated discussion of the Agravadzor population provoked the same emotions among the performance attendees. There were those who supported scarecrow Seto and the mayor, however, the majority was in support of Nazik’s decision and encouraged her to follow her dream.
Upon the end of the performance, women from the audience Mariam Ghukasyan and Violeta Avagyan, shared their personal success stories. Despite being married and having family commitments, they both managed to complete their studies in the city, work and be able to establish their own businesses in the village.
The performance was attended by 45 Forum Theater club members from WFD NGO’s beneficiary communities of Tsoghamarg, Goghovit, Salut, Torosgyugh and Musayelyan, and for them this was not just an opportunity to watch an interesting play, but also a master class and experience exchange.
Theatre for Changes has over 15 years’ experience and is the leader among interactive theaters in Armenia. Their team is comprised of professional actors, who are handling various topics while performing – such as interpersonal and routine conflicts, migration, issues of people with special needs, and other topics, which are hard for people to discuss in formal settings.
“Agravadzor’s Mayor’s Office” project is being implemented with the support from The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
We are grateful to the Theatre for Changes for our continued collaboration and for their input in promoting human rights among youth through such cultural events.