Organisation/Activation of collaborators: Rings, Community Nuclei and Thematic Nuclei

– Rings: A group of people from the same community or a collective from a favela that has contact with Boal’s Office at the Municipal Chamber, to which they express their desires and needs. The contacts are made either by sending a representative of the community to the Office, during a visit by the Representatives, through a booth set up by the Chamber in the Square, or via the ‘interactive mail.’ A nucleus is a unit that structures itself as a Theatre of the Oppressed group and collaborates in a structured manner with the Office.

– Community Nuclei: the participants are people who live in the same favela and share the same problems.
Boal and his team would work closely with a community to identify pressing issues and concerns. This process often involved workshops, discussions, and other interactive methods to ensure that the themes were genuinely reflective of the community’s lived experiences. The process of identifying and exploring community nuclei is participatory. Community members are not just passive recipients but active creators of the theatrical content. This empowers them to express their stories and seek solutions collectively.

– Thematic Nuclei: Formed by participants who make common cause and unite around a common goal/cause.

– Mixed thematic-community nucleus: the members are motivated by both community interests and collective interests (e.g., farmers from a particular settlement).