Project leader – Kateryna Bondar
and Playback Theatre group “Echo”

Under the leadership of Dr. Kateryna Bondar, Playback Theatre “Echo” made significant strides in promoting gender-sensitive approaches to local-level implementation of state reforms for protection against gender-based violence (GBV) from 2022 to 2024. The “Echo” team engaged in various impactful projects to foster societal awareness and responsiveness to GBV. Their initiatives included organizing two forums for activists and policymakers, facilitating 20 workshops for educators and youth activists, and conducting two specialized schools for human rights teams from seven Ukrainian regions, reaching a total more than 500 participants.

A cornerstone of this work was their participation in the Summer and Autumn Schools “Zero Tolerance for Violence,” hosted by CF “Right to Protection” as part of the “Consortium for the Protection of Ukraine,” with support from USAID. This initiative sought to integrate gender-sensitive principles into GBV prevention by providing structured support to professionals handling complex cases, particularly in frontline regions where vulnerable groups, including children, are disproportionately affected.

Using innovative playback theater techniques, “Echo” conducted specialized sensitivity training sessions, drawing from real-world cases to tailor content for GBV professionals. The training emphasized gender-responsive methodologies and trauma-informed care, employing participatory theater to deepen frontline workers’ empathetic engagement with survivors. This approach not only helped professionals process the emotional demands of their roles but also fostered a nuanced understanding of the gendered dynamics of trauma.

Another initiative was implemented during June – August 2024 when Playback Theatre “Echo” group under the leadership of Dr. Kateryna Bondar conducted a series of workshops and performances centered on embodiment and mindfulness during wartime. As part of the Erasmus+ KA1 project “4+Elements” participants emphasized body awareness and improvisation. The methods employed included somatics, body movement, systemic work, storytelling, and visual art. These contemporary approaches are crucial for enhancing trauma-focused mindfulness art therapy practices in Ukraine, both from a psychotherapeutic perspective and in combination with contemporary art, theater, dance, and performative arts in general.