The main aim of the project was to use the theatre stage to raise public awareness of gender and to present the audience wide range of gender problems existing in society.

The play was presented by mixed group of students from Slavic University and the University of Arts and Culture as well as professional actors from Yugh Theatre under the supervision of theatre director Tarlan Rassulzade and Forum Theatre practitioner Caryne Chapman. The play called “Exit” was presented in Baku, Lenkaran, Ganja and Mingachevir.

The Forum Theatre technique was used in performance. That meant once the play had finished the “Joker” (as in a pack of cards, belonging to no particular smth.) acted as a facilitator to encourage the audience to think of different choices they should make if they were in the shoes of the protagonist. The play was then restarted and run as before – but this time, whenever a “spect-actor” (active audience member) felt the protagonist should usefully had tried a different strategy, they could stop the action, take the protagonist’s place and try out his idea.

Performance were performed in Baku on 11, 14 and 15 November, in Lenkaran on 18 November, in Mingechevir on 23 November and in Ganja on 24, 25 November. Around 2500 participants from Azerbaijan, representing universities, NGO’s and local and international organisations related to gender, conflict resolution and social problems came together in these performances to express their opinions on gender issue.

The project is conducted following the success of previous project called Theatre for Change that was held in October 2005 with performances in Baku, Sumgayit, Lenkaran, Ganja and Mingechevir. Find out more about our Forum Theatre projects at the Arts for Development section of our web site.