Tazeh Theatre Atelier
Founders & Directors: Ashkan Kheilnejad and Yousef Bapiri
Location: Based in Tehran, since 2018.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to build a cooperative and democratic theatre community that inspires innovation by pushing the boundaries of traditional theatre and rehearsal practices. Tailored for dedicated students, aged 18 and above, with prior theatre experience, our program serves as a bridge to the creation of experimental works, guiding participants toward a deeper, exploratory approach to performance. Our thorough assessment ensures that participants are ready for the challenges of advanced levels, enhancing their engagement in creative projects. Ultimately, we aim to empower participants to become creative independent artists in the theatre landscape of Iran.
Program Overview
At Tazeh Theatre Atelier, we aim to create a theatrical community that values equal liberty. Our educational approach moves away from the traditional idea of a wise master imparting knowledge; instead, we promote cooperative learning, free from master-pupil dynamics. Randomly formed groups create team-based theatrical pieces, breaking the traditional view of the director as the sole creator. Each group consists of 5 to 7 performers who contribute equally to the creative process.
The program consists of two levels: Beginner and Advanced. The Beginner Level covers foundational skills, while the Advanced Level builds on these to explore more complex exercises. Together, they provide a comprehensive learning pathway for all participants. At the end of each week, groups premiere their pieces for the entire class, including former students, followed by dialogues that explore performative ideas. In the final days of the course, each group presents a performance based on their learnings and available resources in the presence of professional theatre artists.
Venues and Collaborations
In addition to Tehran, Tazeh Theatre Atelier has collaborated with various institutions across Iran to conduct workshops, including the following:
- Isfahan – Afagh Institute – November 2020, October 2021, and June 2024
- Yazd – Tak Dramatic Arts Institute – May 2024
- Bushehr – Dayyer Association of Dramatics Arts – July 2022
- Kerman – One Thousand & One Nights Institute and Vaziri Museum – December 2021
- Shiraz – Honar Shahre Aftab Cineplex & Cultural Center – July 2020 and June 2021
- Kashan – Mehr Cultural Center – August 2020
Beginners Level
- Creative Warm-Up: Each session begins with targeted physical exercises and theatrical games to prepare students for engaging with fundamental theatrical principles. This segment focuses on spatial construction, temporal awareness, object dynamics, rhythmic awareness, and partnering. Following these exercises, students participate in individual or paired improvisations to create a short dramatic study, reinforcing their understanding of the principles.
- Artistic Reflections: Before each session, students review impactful plays, filmed theatre productions, and contemporary theoretical works. We engage in focused dialogues on concepts explored during the warm-up, striving to deepen our understanding of theatre principles. These conversations enhance our grasp of key elements through observation and critical analysis.
- Lunchtime Gathering: During the break, we practice distributing responsibilities within a friendly environment, building human relationships. We emphasize that interaction and group discipline require practice and mutual respect. Communal food preparation and table setting contribute significantly to this cooperative spirit.
- Collaborative Creation: In this stage, randomly grouped students create a performance piece based on available materials, emphasizing session principles. They collaborate outside traditional roles, enabling an egalitarian brainstorming process. Guided by their aesthetic sensibilities, they construct and present a unique performance piece, fostering personal and collective growth.
- Performance Discussion: In this stage, randomly grouped students create a performance piece based on available materials, emphasizing session principles. They collaborate outside traditional roles, enabling an egalitarian brainstorming process. Guided by their aesthetic sensibilities, they construct and present a unique performance piece, fostering personal and collective growth.
Advanced Level
- Physical and Vocal Warm-Up: Each session begins with physical and vocal exercises led by instructors in solfège, choral singing, and contemporary dance, aimed at improving physical awareness, vocal range, and expressiveness. Students complete individual assignments and check in with their instructor before the next session. By the end of the course, they are expected to present group projects in addition to independently design and perform both a vocal piece and a contemporary dance piece.
- Exploring Contemporary Performance: Each session focuses on analyzing and discussing influential contemporary performance forms, including post-dramatic theatre, verbatim theatre, lecture performance, intermedial and technology-based theatre, site-specific theatre, and documentary theatre. Through weekly explorations, students exchange insights and examine the structures and techniques defining each form. By course end, they must study relevant articles and present a lecture on one chosen performance form.
- Weekly Showcase: In the advanced course, groups are formed based on directors’ project proposals at the term’s start. Each group showcases segments of their work in progress during sessions, allowing for valuable feedback and collaboration. By the end of the course, students will present their complete productions as part of a new repertoire on stage.
- Performance Discussion: In the advanced course, groups are formed based on directors’ project proposals at the term’s start. Each group showcases segments of their work in progress during sessions, allowing for valuable feedback and collaboration. By the end of the course, students will present their complete productions as part of a new repertoire on stage.
Requisite Items
At Tazeh Theatre Atelier, our approach emphasizes creativity and innovation, encouraging performers to draw inspiration from diverse sources instead of relying on traditional theatrical texts. Performers are encouraged to conceive their theatrical pieces using alternative materials, including the following:
- Interviews with real individuals
- Personal documentary monologues
- Speeches by political figures
- Abstracts or summaries of scientific lectures
- Poetry
- Excerpts from short stories or novels
- Paintings
- News photographs
- Scenes from films or videos
- Musical pieces or audio recordings
Our Team
- Mentors: Atena Naderzadeh and Sara Abasi
- Body Movement Teacher: Shekiba Bahramian
- Choral Signing Instructor: Arash Haghgoo
- Voice Instructor: Mahyar Pourbabaei
- Theatre Studies Instructor: Keyhan Parchami
- Visual Arts Instructor: Shervin Aghili
Duration
- Total Hours: 100 hours (each level) over 12 sessions
- Session Length: 8 hours each, held weekly over the course of three months
Achievements
Since our inception, Tazeh Theatre Atelier has engaged over 2000 theatre enthusiasts in Tehran and major cities across Iran. Our students have excelled in the Fadjr International Theatre Festival (FITF), with many forming professional groups, serving as directors of informal theatre productions, and pursuing careers as actors in professional theatre and film.
Upcoming Events
We accept student applications twice a year, with calls for enrollment in March and September.