Research Information System
JOURNAL OF TURKISH STUDIES, vol.18, no.4, pp.1761-1774, 2023 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Gender-based discrimination and violence are phenomena that have not been completely
eradicated despite efforts to combat them in various ways. In the fight against this humanity problem, in
addition to official ways such as international conventions and legislative changes, practices to increase
individual awareness are also used. One of them is the practices of Theater of the Oppressed by the Brazilian
theater theorist and activist Augusto Boal. Since gender-based discrimination and violence is a set of
thoughts and behaviors that emerge through stereotypes, prejudices and actions, the structure in the minds of
individuals cannot be changed in an instant, even though it is tried to be prevented by laws and contracts. It is
important for individuals to be aware of the stereotypes and prejudices that they carry, to discuss and
examine them. In this context, Forum Theater has the potential to produce such awareness by putting the
audience in a position that actively thinks, discusses, produces and implements suggestions, and scrutinizes
the result. In this study, Italian theater company PartecipArte, which uses Theater of the Oppressed
techniques such as Forum Theater, Image Theater, Invisible Theater, and their works focused on the theme of
discrimination based on gender were examined. Ethnography is used as the method in the study, and the data
were obtained by observing and participating the works of the community in the 2017-2018 season on site. In
this article, information about the PartecipArte Theatre, headquartered in Rome, is given, and its works and
structural features after its establishment in 2008 are presented. In addition, three forum theatre named
Uomini Che Ci Provano, Una Bella Promozione and Amore Mio! were presented. It is hoped that the cited
plays will be illuminating for those who want to use Theater of the Oppressed techniques to combat gender-
based discrimination and violence.