Theatre of the Oppressed, Ritual and Ecology: Creativity and Relational Practice at the Threshold

Xris Reardon (Australia) and Héctor Aristizábal (Colombia/USA) are theatre-makers and facilitators whose work bridges ethics, trauma, and creative resistance. They first collaborated in Bil’in, Palestine, using Theatre of the Oppressed to explore resilience, witness, and solidarity in the face of occupation.

In this talk, Xris and Hector will share practices developed across different contexts with disenfranchised communities, exploring both the limits of those practices and the emergent possibilities that arise when one seeks to navigate the ethics of hosting spaces that can hold othered possibilities.

Xris, Artistic Director of Third Way Theatre, has worked across Australia and internationally with communities affected by systemic violence, including political prisoners and former child soldiers. Their projects, such as Takin’ Up Space, use Forum Theatre to engage young people in conversations that address cultures of hate focusing on belonging, and ethical co-responsibilities.

Héctor, founder of Reconnectando, combines psychodrama, storytelling, and embodied ritual with communities recovering from war and displacement. In Colombia, he has worked extensively with ex-combatants, victims of violence, and participants in the Truth and Reconciliation process, supporting collective healing through creative dialogue.

Héctor and Xris will also be offering a short taster workshop on Thursday 4 December, also on UTS campus. More information here: https://events.humanitix.com/bodies-as-a-meeting-place-exploring-power-ethics-rewilding