Beyond Silences : Docu-Theatre in Jail & Outside
In 2004, Smita Bharti led a project in Tihar Jail in Delhi as part of a project with WISCOMP. ‘Beyond Silences: Docu-Theatre in Jail & Outside’ entailed a series of theatre workshops in jail and outside, designed to explore human rights issues on both sides of the wall. Using skilful creative methods, participants were encouraged to become co-explorers, question internalized norms, engage in a process of self-expression, and make critical choices. A unique co-production between jail inmates and college students was mounted in the jail in December 2004. The project also gave way to a theatrical play ‘Jailbirds’ which explored the journey of a woman near the end of her 14-year jail term for killing her abusive husband.