The nonprofit Association “Technodromo” was founded in 2010 by people of the letters, the arts, and other professions, with the common goal of bringing the art of theatre to isolated social groups.
The main axes of its actions are to provide information, raise awareness and increase mobilisation on issues of social inclusion, empowerment, human rights and discrimination. Its methodology, using theatre and related arts as its vehicle, focuses on meetings, events, experiential seminars and targeted actions, implemented mainly in accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors, refugee communities, facilities for people with disabilities, and prisons.
The Technodromo prison programme began at the Treatment Centre for Addicted Prisoners in Eleonas, Thebes, and subsequently extended to the prison of Korydallos. The aim of the initiative is to employ the therapeutic properties of theatre to raise awareness, provide empowerment, and fight social stigma and negative stereotypes. The theatre group ran an annual workshop, culminating in a performance presented by the inmates at the prison.
The grant pertains to the implementation of the Cultural Actions in Prisons Program and is divided into two segments: a. Cultural Actions at Korydallos prison
The segment at Korydallos consists of two workshops aimed at presenting a musical-theatre performance at the end of the sessions: Theatre workshop aimed at strengthening team spirit and cultivating collaboration and togetherness through sessions that will include improvisation, movement, speech training, acting and creative writing. The second workshop is the Music Workshop: The methodological approach to singing is that of the innate human need to express ourselves through it. The estimated number of direct beneficiaries of the program is 50 inmates.
b. Creation of a National Network for Cultural Actions in Prisons. Cultural actions at prisons are carried out on occasion by volunteers or organizations, without a specific institutional framework, guidance and know-how and, mainly, without consistency. Technodromo is planning to create a national network that will connect 10 prisons with Civil Society organizations, art schools, and universities. The aim is to transfer know-how, to raise awareness and mobilization, and ultimately to multiply cultural actions benefitting the inmates.