HishamAD

Year TWO Completed

The 2021 students have concluded their courses by November 2021.
During the year, the students had the chance to learn about social therapy and the different types of street and performing arts techniques: from storytelling to movement and from Bouffon to puppetry, among many other courses.

As a closure for this intense learning process, the students were divided into two groups. Each group created and performed a 30-minute show tackling our everyday struggles in the country, performed twice, once in Beirut at Ain El Mraiseh Corniche on November 29th, and another in the main square of Tripoli on December 11th. We had very different audiences in these locations but they all were extremely happy with and related to the show and enjoyed it fully. Going around after the shows, we asked spectators about the importance of such activities and they all answered that such performances are a must and should happen more often. This is what we, IIVVSS and Clown Me In, intend to do!

For 2022, the students of the 2021 year will be divided into three groups. Each group will recruit young people in three different regions, between the ages of 14 and 19, who want to improve their surroundings and are interested in arts.
Our students and their youth groups will create together, over a period of three months, a street performance that will be performed in different regions of the country.

Stay connected on our social media accounts to stay up to date for when the street performances are ready to hit the streets.

instagram.com/iivvssleb
facebook.com/iivvssleb
youtube.com/channel/UCKkYsf_bN6Ba01l805Ojt2g

HishamAD

Year One Completed

Aren’t we over the moon happy and proud to announce the completion of the first year of the International Institute for Very Very Serious Studies – IIVVSS.
Our eight graduates are now ready to hit the streets, so be aware… 

IIVVSS – Fieldwork in Barja

Officially, the year started on the 3rd of September 2019. This date was also the official one for the opening of the Clown Me In space.
12 participants were chosen out of around 65 applicants. All was going smoothly until October 17th, 2019. From a pacific uprise of the citizens to violent demonstrations, from financial and banking crisis to confinement with the spread of the coronavirus, to the devastating Beirut port explosion, the institute continued its progress.
It was shaky, it was hectic but we never stopped trying and never stopped being very very serious about it. 

Throughout the year, the participants followed courses of social therapy and participatory arts, storytelling and movement, fieldwork preparation, giant puppets manipulation and clowning and Buffon. This journey ended up with a street performance in Barja (click here to watch Part 1 and here to watch Part 2) and a 7-minutes long scene via zoom (click here to watch)

We are currently preparing for the second IIVVSS school year.
Stay tuned.
It won’t be long…