From Trinidad Around the World
Arts-in-Action Expanding, by Dani Lyndersay

Two years ago, Under Pressure interviewed her about her work in the West Indies and Africa, now she has written us from Geneva, where she teaches at the International School. Here is an account of a theatre company really working its way into the heart of the matter:

Geneva (Switzerland), January 25, 2002: "First I want to say how much I have enjoyed your newsletters and sincerely appreciate the work your are doing for the promotion of TO. My work with Arts-in-Action has grown tremendously and now the company has seven full-time members and six part-time actor-teachers. Meanwhile their work has extended internationally:
-In October 2001, Arts-in-Action was awarded the University of the West Indies' Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence. This has now obviously validated the extensive work Arts-in-Action does in the Carribean community and elsewhere.

-In November 2001, Arts-in-Action was the featured performance company at the Conference "Beyond Boal" at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. Arts-in-Action's interactive performance "Jus' Once" (featured in the 2000 interview with Dani Lyndersay) highlighted the horrors and impact of AIDS in the Carribean and was assessed as "a wonderfully powerful performance".
-Recently Arts-in-Action won a large contract award with TIDCO (Trinidad's Tourism Corporation) to make interactive films featuring different tourist locations. This is a new avenue for us, but certainly a challenging one.

-The Canadian Government through the Canada Fund generously awarded Arts-in-Action a grant to perform "Jus' Once" and assess the techniques of interactive theatre in the education of HIV/AIDS in schools and rural communities throughout Trinidad & Tobago. This project has proven that interactive theatre is extremely effective and consequently the Canada Fund have awarded AiA another grant to continue their work.

Meanwhile the seven full-time members of Arts-in-Action are extremely busy with productions in Trinidad & Tobago which focus on subjects as diverse as youth violence, honouring our cultural and historical heroes, and globalization. Here in Switzerland we are now organizing a workshop with Boal on 9-10 March. Obviously it will be in French, but I am sure that will be no hinderance to most here in Europe.

Greetings to all from me in Switzerland and Arts-in-Action in Trinidad. Peace and a good Carnival season, Dani"

Under Pressure 9, January 2002