From performance to action
We watched a documentary performance about the life of people in PNI and wrote a note about theater as a PR and FR tool for NGOs.
In 2021, Elena Kostyuchenko published a reportage about life in a psycho-neurological boarding school. To better understand what life in a psychiatric hospital is like, Elena lived there for two weeks.
The essay turned from an article into a full-fledged documentary. An entire issue of the newspaper was devoted to the essay.
In the same year, the article turned into a play, which has been performed for 4 years in the theater “Naive? Very.” The theater is part of the project of the same name, which was created to help young people with severe neuropsychiatric disorders to socialize and find jobs. “Naive? Very” are workshops where participants create their own handicrafts to sell.
CSS PR Director Lena Scherbakova saw the play, shared her thoughts, and offered some professional insights.
"The Internat” play has a simple yet poignant storyline. There weren't any complex sets, fancy makeup, costumes, or props. There were five actors and five chairs on the stage. Nothing superfluous, nothing personal, very similar to the way PNI’s clients live.
But I was even more intrigued by the theater format as a PR and fundraising tool for non-profit projects. I'd like to share a few observations and thoughts that I hope you'll find useful.
- The theater at the inclusive workshop is a great way to get additional regular donations. "Naive? Very" is where well-known actors are involved.
For example, in “The Internat” play: Lapshina, Uvarova - the founder of the project, Redko. Tickets are constantly and quickly sold out.
- - The event starts in the project’s store, where guests can view and purchase beautiful, high-quality items created by adults with mental peculiarities. In the store employees talk about the philosophy and importance of the project. I saw that among the visitors waiting for the performance were those who knew nothing about the project. Apparently, they came just to see a performance with a good cast, and left, quite possibly, supporters of “Naive? Very".
- - The actors become ambassadors of the project with an understandable activism. In addition to specific shows like "The Internat," there are also more secular works being staged here. I believe that actors and directors can suggest shows and freely self-realize, which encourages them to participate in charitable activities.
- - Through performances, society learns about important problems. A girl sat next to me and nodded cheerfully when the actress in the role of a nurse talked about fines, salaries, the amount of work and the number of clients - there are forty clients per nurse in the penitentiary, which is the subject of the play. And at the end of the performance, the woman cried and said to herself: “Something has to be changed”.
In this way, the society from the idea of isolation of people with mental peculiarities comes to the ideas of free life for all people and providing supportive assistance to those who cannot or will never be able to live without it, but have the right to a full life no less than others ...
We watched a documentary performance about the life of people in PNI and wrote a note about theater as a PR and FR tool for NGOs.
In 2021, Elena Kostyuchenko published a reportage about life in a psycho-neurological boarding school. To better understand what life in a psychiatric hospital is like, Elena lived there for two weeks.
The essay turned from an article into a full-fledged documentary. An entire issue of the newspaper was devoted to the essay.
In the same year, the article turned into a play, which has been performed for 4 years in the theater “Naive? Very.” The theater is part of the project of the same name, which was created to help young people with severe neuropsychiatric disorders to socialize and find jobs. “Naive? Very” are workshops where participants create their own handicrafts to sell.
CSS PR Director Lena Scherbakova saw the play, shared her thoughts, and offered some professional insights.
"The Internat” play has a simple yet poignant storyline. There weren't any complex sets, fancy makeup, costumes, or props. There were five actors and five chairs on the stage. Nothing superfluous, nothing personal, very similar to the way PNI’s clients live.
But I was even more intrigued by the theater format as a PR and fundraising tool for non-profit projects. I'd like to share a few observations and thoughts that I hope you'll find useful.
- The theater at the inclusive workshop is a great way to get additional regular donations. "Naive? Very" is where well-known actors are involved.
For example, in “The Internat” play: Lapshina, Uvarova - the founder of the project, Redko. Tickets are constantly and quickly sold out.
- - The event starts in the project’s store, where guests can view and purchase beautiful, high-quality items created by adults with mental peculiarities. In the store employees talk about the philosophy and importance of the project. I saw that among the visitors waiting for the performance were those who knew nothing about the project. Apparently, they came just to see a performance with a good cast, and left, quite possibly, supporters of “Naive? Very".
- - The actors become ambassadors of the project with an understandable activism. In addition to specific shows like "The Internat," there are also more secular works being staged here. I believe that actors and directors can suggest shows and freely self-realize, which encourages them to participate in charitable activities.
- - Through performances, society learns about important problems. A girl sat next to me and nodded cheerfully when the actress in the role of a nurse talked about fines, salaries, the amount of work and the number of clients - there are forty clients per nurse in the penitentiary, which is the subject of the play. And at the end of the performance, the woman cried and said to herself: “Something has to be changed”.
In this way, the society from the idea of isolation of people with mental peculiarities comes to the ideas of free life for all people and providing supportive assistance to those who cannot or will never be able to live without it, but have the right to a full life no less than others ...
