Cardboard Boxes, Poles, and Paper: Co-Creative Theatre with Poor Materials

In an era of endless innovation and technology, the 2^nd atelier of the INTERACTION project invited us to take a step back, into the world of simplicity, creativity, and transformation. Through a hands-on, co-creative experience, 12 participants explored the rich artistic potential hidden in the most unexpected places: cardboard boxes, paper, and poles.

Nikoletta Verykiou and Elena Pavlidou, actresses and animators of theatre workshops led a dynamic and inclusive workshop “Cardboard boxes, poles, and paper: co-creative theatre with poor materials” that encouraged participants to view everyday objects through an artistic lens. Rather than using these materials merely as props or costumes, we have explored how they can lead the creative process from the very beginning.

Through playful experimentation and improvisation, participants became co-creators of a collective theatrical experience, discovering how cardboard, paper, and poles can be powerful tools of expression, imagination, and storytelling.

The workshop began with introduction and warm-up games to help participants:

• Get to know each other
• Loosen up, embrace spontaneity, and prepare for play
• Begin their first hands-on interaction with the materials

After, participants rotated through interactive stations focusing on each material:

• Cardboard Boxes
• Playing inside, outside, and around the boxes
• Building, destroying, and reshaping creative spaces
• Using boxes as environments for action and imagination
• Paper
• Improvising with large and small pieces
• Creating soundscapes and textures
• Discovering the physical and emotional qualities of paper: how it bends, creases, and transforms
• Poles
• Exploring their weight, size, and movement
• Experimenting with group formations and object rhythm
• Using poles for creative movement and storytelling

🎭 In the final phase, participants were divided into groups and given a short narrative. Their task: bring the story to life using only the materials from the workshop. This challenge encouraged teamwork, innovation, and storytelling through physical theatre.

🎯 Workshop Goals were:

• To reveal the artistic potential of everyday, reused materials
• To explore physical theatre and non-verbal expression
• To foster a collaborative, inclusive creative space where participants feel empowered to take initiative
• To demonstrate how simple materials can support classroom learning and performance, especially where resources are limited
• To inspire imaginative transformation — seeing beyond the object’s purpose and into its creative possibilities

This workshop offered a playful and transformative experience that proved creativity doesn’t require fancy sets or high-tech gadgets, just a little imagination and a cardboard box.