From January 29th to February 2nd, the volunteers of the 2017-18 FSJ (Voluntary Social Year) cohort of the Turkish Federation Berlin-Brandenburg (TBB) explored power imbalances and privileges. Over the course of a week, five different workshops were offered, allowing the volunteers to delve into these topics. The two theater groups, divided into physical theater and so-called "Theatre of the Oppressed," approached the subject through performance, portraying conflicts that had been addressed and developed by the participants themselves in a dramatic and public performance. Another course explored the theme through illustration, expressing and reflecting on personal, sometimes very private, stories in the form of comics. The photography course, in turn, focused on its participants through staged performances and short films on the topic, while the Rap group They expressed their ideas in a self-written song with a music video.
It quickly became apparent during the workshop how multifaceted the topic of this seminar is and how many areas of everyday life privilege and power imbalances, often subconsciously, extend into. While the concepts were initially considered very abstractly, the participants quickly filled the topic with their own stories and reflected experiences. The group benefited greatly from being able to utilize such a broad range of methods to artistically tell and express their stories. This was particularly evident in the final presentation on Friday, where all participants demonstrated how intensively they had worked on their projects throughout the week.
In June 2018, the last of three seminars with this year's TBB volunteers will take place, bringing together the vast majority of the group. The focus will be on German and Turkish culture, giving the volunteers the opportunity to reflect on their year of voluntary social service together.