The following workshops will take place at the PADs 2025:
1. Workshop: “Bodies in Action – Intro to Utopia Theatre” (Saturday, Hof)
This introductory workshop offers a hands-on exploration of basic techniques from Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Through playful, physical exercises and image theatre, we’ll explore how our bodies hold knowledge, how power moves through space, and how theatre can become a tool for social reflection towards an utopian world. No prior experience is necessary – just curiosity and a willingness to participate. This is a welcoming and engaging entry point for people of all backgrounds and ages.
2. Workshop: “Rehearsing Change – An Utopia Theatre Lab” (Sunday, Dachsaal) ➔ Registration
In this workshop, we dive into Utopia Theatre, based on Forum Theatre as one of the central methods developed by Boal. Participants will collaboratively build short scenes around real-life issues of oppression or conflict, then explore interventions and alternative outcomes through collective performance. How could this situation look and feel like in an utopian world? This lab is for those ready to engage more deeply, reflect critically, and use theatre as a tool for action and transformation. Think big, think utopian. A brief introduction to key principles will be included, but we’ll quickly move into practice. Open to all – no stage experience needed, just an open mind.
Note: To participate in the workshop "Rehearsing Change – A Utopia Theatre Lab", prior registration via this online form is required.
About Linda:
Linda Liebig (she/her) Educational Scientist / Teacher: German as a second/foreign language for adults / Democracy enthusiast
In diesem Workshop arbeiten wir auf der Grundlage des unglaublichen Kunstwerks „The true cost of coal“ zu der indigenen Antwort auf die Frage, wie Krieg, Umweltzerstörung und Ungerechtigkeit zusammenhängen – und was wir im Kern und ganz praktisch dagegen tun können. Anhand internationaler und deutscher Entwicklungen können wir uns bewusst machen, wie viel Grund zur Hoffnung gerade besteht – und zwar speziell aufgrund der Krisen, die wir gerade überall erleben. Die Utopie ist zum Greifen nah – kannst du sie schon atmen hören?
Über Meike:
Meike Juliane ist Ingenieurin für Erneuerbare Energiesysteme, Nuklearen Rückbau und Fusionstechnologie. Sie hat im Fraunhofer ISE an Wasserstofftechnologien geforscht und dann die sozialen und ökonomischen Hebel als viel zentralere Stellschrauben der Transformation für sich erkannt. Seitdem arbeitet sie als Transformationsbegleiterin, Mediatorin und systemische Organisationsentwicklerin. Seit 2023 ist sie mit Wachstumswandel selbstständig und hat zuletzt für die SAENA – Sächsische Energieagentur GmbH den Bereich „Transformationskommunikation – wie nehmen wir alle mit?“ mitaufgebaut.
Using the 'Tree Problem Diagram,' we are creating an interactive exhibition in which participants can develop project ideas to solve unsustainable problems (by creating 'Sustainability Trees' that creatively and visually represent problems and their possible solutions). First, at the 'topic market,' participants collect challenges, problems, or unsustainable behaviors they feel affected by and consider important.
The Sustainability Tree is structured as follows:
• the trunk of the tree represents the problem or unsustainable behavior
• the roots reflect the causes of this problem
• the leaves and fruits are possible measures and actions we can take to solve the problem.
The trees will then be exhibited along with some infographics explaining the methodology and the exercise, encouraging other festival visitors to expand the trees or create their own.
About Flor:
Flor de Matos (they/them) is an educator and youth worker, passionate about diversity and inclusion, with a focus on creating safe spaces for people to grow together.
About Rachel:
Rachel Bowden (she/her) is ESD coordinator at the Centre of Teacher Education at TU Dresden.
Wasser ist Leben – doch nicht überall auf der Welt ist es selbstverständlich verfügbar. In diesem interaktiven Workshop erkunden wir den globalen Wasserkreislauf, analysieren die Verteilung von Wasserressourcen und lernen, wie ein einfaches Wasserprotokoll erstellt wird. Mit praktischen Experimenten, wie dem Bau eines eigenen Wasserfilters, erfahren die Teilnehmenden, wie wichtig sauberes Wasser ist – und wie jede*r zum Schutz dieser lebenswichtigen Ressource beitragen kann. Der Workshop fördert globales Denken, nachhaltiges Handeln und macht Wasser greifbar – Tropfen für Tropfen.
This basic embroidery workshop invites participants to inhabit the heart, the stitches, and the cultures. Together, we will learn to transform a photo into a piece full of shape, color, and texture.
Every step remembers, every step transforms.
Through collective dance we root ourselves, carry memory, and create belonging beyond borders.
All bodies welcome. No experience needed!
This workshop explores how gender (in)equality is defined and experienced differently in the Global North and Global South. Through a participatory approach involving group discussions and storytelling, we will explore definitions, challenges, and representations. The goal is to amplify diverse voices and foster a pluralistic understanding of gender (in)equality beyond borders.
Note: To participate in this workshop, prior registration via this online form is required.
About Maria Francesca:
Maria Francesca Mele has an academic background in Human Rights and Gender Studies, with a specific focus on gender-based violence within international humanitarian law. She has gained international experience in Italy, India, and Turkey, and since 2020 has been actively involved in Erasmus+ initiatives, deepening her expertise in non-formal education and youth empowerment. At JKPeV, she works as a Project Manager, overseeing the development and implementation of projects focused on sustainability, social inclusion, and education.
Power shapes our societies in visible and invisible ways. In this interactive session, we will look at how different forms of privilege and disadvantage influence our lives and our ability to act. Through reflection and group exercises, participants will explore where power comes from, how it is distributed, and how our multiple identities intersect to shape our experiences.
Want to help tackle climate change but don’t have the time to become a climate scientist? PLAY YOUR PART IN THE CLIMATE TRANSITION BY JOINING THE CLIMATE FRESK MOVEMENT! In just 3 hours, the collaborative Climate Fresk workshop will teach you the fundamental science behind climate change and empower you to take action.
Note: To participate in this workshop, prior registration via this online form is required.
About us:
Shaped by different backgrounds, united by a passion for climate education – we, Barbara, Maristella, and Silvana, are participating in a series of training courses offered by the Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen and are currently taking our first steps as faclilitators in the field of education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education . There, we came across Climate Fresk and found the concept of collaborative learning so valuable that we wanted to spread the word immediately. Thanks to you and your collective intelligence at the Political Art Days, we are now able to do just that. <3
A single gesture can ripple through another’s body, shifting the air between us. Through dance, play, and mirror-body games, we’ll explore how movement connects us – and how that connection can change the world.
About me:
Actress, Dancer, and Somatic Coach. Born in the wild landscapes of Chilean Patagonia, I have made my home on the Pacific coast of Mexico for almost six years. My work weaves together community-based artistic projects and one-on-one journeys of growth and self-discovery. I believe in the alchemy of dance — in its power to create magic and spark profound change.
Discover batik—or tie-dye. Using simple techniques, we’ll create colorful patterns on brought-along T-shirts or fabric bags available on site. You will also learn all about color in the textile industry, especially from a sustainability perspective. What should you pay attention to when buying new clothes? What harmful substances are present in our clothing? How can older or faded clothing be renewed and upcycled so it lasts longer and can continue to be worn?
Instead of buying color-intensive clothing new, this workshop teaches us how to give old garments a fresh look using creative batik techniques. Especially suitable for children and teenagers.
www.hansklausnitzer.art
The workshop explores identity as a complex and ever-changing universe. Participants discover their different layers of identity through an association game with photographs and definitions (national, political, gender, religious, bodily identities).
Afterwards, they create their personal ‚identity galaxy’—planets and celestial bodies representing categories such as body, expression, perception, and relationships. Through collage, painting, or drawing, visual interpretations of their diverse identities emerge. The resulting galaxies will be exhibited and shared in groups, followed by a reflection on identity, assumptions, and communication beyond labels.
About Flor:
Flor de Matos (they/them) is an educator and youth worker, passionate about diversity and inclusion, with a focus on creating safe spaces for people to grow together.
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