Theater as a pedagogical tool in the construction of historical memory: an experience from the El Estrecho Rural Development Educational Institution

Abstract

This research work presents the use of theater as a pedagogical tool that contributes to the process of building historical memory based on the impact of the internal armed conflict in the context of the El Estrecho Rural Development Educational Institution - Cauca. The educational institution is located in a territory that has historically been the epicenter of the armed conflict. The research positions its theoretical pillars on historical memory, as a story of the events and impacts of the past, and theater as a pedagogical tool. From the perspective of pedagogies for peace and the construction of memory, the students were approached in a dialogue with their context and, specifically, with the particularity of sharing the territory with ex-combatants. Using techniques and tools typical of qualitative research, collective stories about painful events within the framework of the armed conflict are reconstructed; Interviews, mapping and focus groups were also used. The present hermeneutical-historical research aims to substantiate the relevance of theater as a pedagogical tool for the construction of historical memory about the impacts of the Colombian armed conflict in El Estrecho-Cauca. For this study, a focus group of 33 people was formed, including students, teachers, victims of the armed conflict and ex-combatants. The process demonstrated the potential of theater to bring students closer to the events within the framework of the armed conflict, to generate a collective story about those events and to extend bridges towards reconciliation.