According to Ander-Egg (2000), cited by Alves and Antunes (2009), community intervention presupposes the search for and intentionality of generating processes of people’s participation.
The work with the group of women who performed the play “Cabo Verde: Nha terra, Nha tradiçon” was carried out in an interdisciplinary manner, i.e. 3 intervention agents who accompanied the group with different backgrounds: 1 Education Technician; 1 Social Worker and 1 Professional Actress. It is also worth mentioning that two of the intervention agents are working for Casa Seis association and technicians that already worked in the community.
Although each area of knowledge is different/specific, the reciprocal relationship of knowledge among the agents enables dialogue for the accomplishment of the work. Although each area of knowledge has its own specificity, the articulation between them culminates in the sharing of common objectives. It can even be mentioned that it is this sharing of knowledge that brings a better quality to the final product and to the intervention.
The Technicians who work with these women on a daily basis challenged them to create a theatre play that would talk about their trajectory as emigrants. The whole process was developed in a collective and collaborative way, from the collection of materials and objects, to the creation, from images, references, conversations and memories on which these women built the different scenes; the selection and composition process was also collective.
The whole process allowed and facilitated a closer relationship, both between peers (women) and between women and technicians. The active participation in the construction of the play and their availability to gradually tell some of their life stories mobilized the group, motivated them and made them confidants. For the technicians, it not only allowed them to get to know the life story and understand some of the more traumatic experiences and memories which were hidden behind the behavior of these women, but above all it strengthened the relationship of trust and proximity.
As PatrÃcia Cairrão, the professional actress, stated in the group’s portfolio: “The group spirit evolved into a common body, and listening became more important, which gave the final product an energetic and consistent scene force. This was a process of empowerment, bonding and emancipation, through the sharing of stories, lives and experiences, told by the life, bodies and voices of these women, who give voice to all Cape Verdeans who are forced to emigrate. From the first moment I felt part, I am one more element, of this collective body”.
In conclusion, we can say that interdisciplinary work as a practice of intervention makes the sharing and exchange of knowledge increase the knowledge of each area and each Technician. As Santomé (1998) states “[…] that cooperation between various disciplines causes real exchanges, that is, there is real reciprocity in the exchanges and, consequently, mutual enrichment […] modification of concepts”.
