Welcome to that class you never would have dropped out of! ”Speak for yourself” is an event about disaffection with school, a performance occupying the borderland between teaching and art where the pupils get to speak for themselves.
I have decided to quit school.
It´s the sentence all parents dread hearing, teachers hear all to often, and which teenagers suddenly feel compelled to announce.
But what´s happening in the lead up to quitting?
For some the task of putting on makeup in the morning demands far too much time. Others just love a snooze. Some think school dull. We all have our reasons.
Speak for yourself is an event which tries to find out more by giving youth a voice.
Over 700 teenagers have in recent years participated in the writing workshop Speak for yourself. The texts pupils have written during these workshops will be used as the starting point for this performance.
With author, pedagogue and actor Rebekka Brox Liabø taking the stage, the voice of youth will be foregrounded in a performance filled with stories, some disruption and a little break time. Brox Liabø has enjoyed great success with this project about school dropouts, and before Christmas was awarded one million kroner in support from GjensidigeStiftelsen to take the initiative further in various schools across the region.
Rebekka Brox Liabø works with the culture industry firm Rulleramp which creates its own scripts for the stage, holds writing workshops and produces its own performances inspired by these texts. She has put together performances for, amongst others, the Hålogaland Theatre and has taken part previously as an instructor at the Arctic Arts Festival in writing workshops.
The artistic team consists of Kristina Junttila, Rakel Nystabakk, Linda Nilsen and Rebekka Brox Liabø.
The project is coordinated by Snakk for deg sjøl AS in conjunction with Rebekka Brox Liabø.
The collaborators are the Hålogaland Theatre, Den Kulturelle Skolesekken, and UiT.
This project is supported by funds from Gjensidigestiftelsen.
#Snakkfordegsjøl is a comprehensive programme working towards giving youth a stronger voice. This endeavour occupies the borderland between pedagogy and art. It engages in writing workshops, research and performance.