ABSTRACT
Taking an empirical example from a video-recorded project of applied theatre with children in a refugee reception center, this chapter denotes the extent to which aesthetic resonance spaces can offer a framing for dealing with the unfamiliar. Leaving loved ones behind, while encountering war and devastation, can lead to traumatization. Experiences of alienness may then become relevant upon arriving in a new living environment. In the context of flight and migration, applied theatre projects are often seen as having the potential to create harmony. This, however, does raise the question of whether aesthetic–theatrical play can of itself be able to enhance well-being. The empirical example of a play with a magic trick illustrates how the shaping of aesthetic resonance spaces by the participants can support in negotiating realities and permitting a sense of the communal to arise. In this regard, not only does the search for the creation of harmonies become relevant but also the handling of dissent. Moreover, applying a dissent orientation to applied theatre can contribute to scrutinizing existing orders. Permitting the negotiating of differences in aesthetic resonance spaces allows change processes to become experienceable, and thus constitutes a basis for peace education and the enhancement of well-being.
