Abi Smart - Applied Theatre

Blyth, L and Butche, G. (2014) 'MP says schools are failing on cyberbullying' BBC [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30043084

Boal, Augusto. (2008) Theatre of the oppressed. Pluto Press. London. pp. 95-135

Doollee (2003) Doollee: The Playwrights Database [Online] Available from: http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsE/enright-helena.html 

Elliott, Francis. (2014) 'Schools to teach dangers of sexting and cyberbullying' The Times [Online] Available from: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article3975442.ece 

Friere, Paolo. (1996) Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin. pp. 52-67

Jones, Owen. (2012) Chavs: the denomination of the working class. Verso. pp 1-15

Linked In (2003) LinkedIn [Online] Available from: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/helena-enright/41/831/61 

Mantle of the Expert (Undated) [Online] Available from: http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/about-moe/introduction/

Prendergast and Saxton. 'Applied Theate International case studies and challenges for practice' Part 4: Challenges for Practice. [Online] Available from: https://minerva.bathspa.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-715186-dt-content-rid-742550_1/courses/MD-DR5003-20NP-2014-2015/Ethics%20and%20assesment%20reading%201%20.pdf

The Sea Company. (2007) 'Mantle of the Expert' NUT Magazine [Online] Available from: http://www.moeplanning.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/nut-mag-article-on-moe.pdf

Our cyberbullying workshop was focused around Augusto Boal's theories and work. The following quote from Boal concisely explains 'The Poetics of the Oppressed' and how it works:

"The poetics of the oppressed is essentially the poetics of liberation; the spectator no longer delegates power to the characters either to think or act in his place. The spectator frees himself: he thinks and acts for himself: theatre is action! Perhaps the theatre is not revolution in itself; but have no doubts, it is a rehearsal of revolution!" 

What Boal aims to achieve through his exercises, is to liberate and help to build confidence in people who are normally 'oppressed' - in the instance of my workshop this would be the victim of cyberbullying. The spectator is given the chance to change the action in the scene in a positive way, the idea being to assist this person to be able to do the same in day to day life. I believe that our Forum Theatre 'spect-actor' scene adhered to Boal's theory well: participants were able to pause the scene, and enter as the protagonist of the scene (the victim of bullying). This allowed for the spectator to think and act for themselves  in attempt to create a positive outcome (in our case to stop the cyberbullying). By only being able to take the place of the protagonist in the scene, the idea is that you are only able to change yourself in day to day life to try and resolve any issues/problems. I think that as facilitators, we were true to Boal and his techniques and the scene would not have worked so well or as realistically if participants were able to change other characters in the scene. 

By introducing the theme of cyberbullying by reading our initial statements and instructing the group during the Image Theatre exercises, I think that the group were given a deep insight into this problem and were therefore comfortable to participate in the Forum Theatre scene. From the feedback we received, I think that the participants, especially those who became involved, felt empowered; as if they had already completed a stepping stone towards stopping cyberbullying, which was satisfactory for all. 

Generally, we used Boal's techniques truly and fully. However, during our Image Theatre exercises, we did not allow for a single spectator to take on the role of a ‘sculpter’ to mould and shape the other spectators bodies like clay for our 'Actual Image'. Instead, we allowed the smaller groups to work together to create an image that they believed showed cyberbullying. We did this because it encourages teamwork and conversation on the subject, as well as ensuring that participants do not feel singled out and therefore conscious while dealing with a sensitive subject. 

Cyberbullying is a serious issue which is not taught in school enough. Our 30 participants were very surprised by the statistics we gave them around the subject, and further research suggests that many schools do not educate enough on the subject. An article from The Times Newspaper stated David Cameron on the subject: 'Pupils should be taught about the dangers of “sexting” and “cyberbullying” as part of updated sex education classes.' Some studies suggest that a quarter of teenagers have sent “sexts”, or explicit text messages. Another report from the BBC stated, 'The chairman of the Commons education select committee says schools in England are failing in their efforts to teach children about the dangers of online abuse and trolling.' Cyberbullying is a serious problem and is increasing. Although many school will briefly touch on cyberbullying during sex education lessons, this is limited to only one session a year for about an hour or two. Even then, many students will not be educated on the subject until they are in Year 10 or Year 11, by which time the students will have been online for about 4 years already and are at risk of cyber bullies. I believe workshops such as ours are very beneficial for students to learn about the subject, without the information seeming too demanding and overwhelming. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30043084

Today, myself, Kiera, Katy.A and Katy.B facilitated our one hour workshop to a class of Year 8 Pupils at Hayfield Girls School, Bath. 

Brief of the Workshop

Aim: The aim for our workshop is to create an awareness of cyberbullying. We hope the participants gain an understanding of the issues surrounding this subject and how these issues may be resolved as we work through a variety of dramatic techniques.

Outline of the Workshop:

Introduction - In a circle, we will introduce ourselves to the participants and introduce the theme of our workshop - cyberbullying. We will ask the participants to introduce themselves and tell the group their favourite social media site. After a short discussion, we have included a brief teamwork exercise to bring the group together and to allow everyone time to focus. 

We will then ask the participants to form a line and the facilitators will read a series of statements focused around cyberbullying. The participants step forward if they believe the statement to be true, or back if they believe it to be false. They are as follows:
 ABI - More than 20% of people online have been bullied on the internet KIERA - I often see people being bullied online KATY.B - I have seen cyberbullying online and not reported it KATY.A - I use my mobile phone for social networking everyday ABI - I believe cyberbullying is a serious problem KIERA - I believe cyberbullying online is easier to get away with than bullying someone in person KATY.B - Boys are more likely to be bullied online KATY.A - Girls are more likely to be the ‘bully’ online

(These statements are also referred to near the conclusion of the workshop)



Image Theatre (Augusto Boal) - We will then split the group up in to smaller groups, of about 4 or 5, and direct them in creating an ‘Actual Image’ of cyberbullying. After a short discussion on the created images, the groups will then be asked to produce an ‘Ideal Image’ of cyberbullying. We will then briefly discuss the difference between the two images created before moving on to creating the ‘Transitional Image’.

Spect-Actor (Augusto Boal) - We will then continue to show the participants a short scene created by us, the facilitators, centred around cyberbullying. The rules of the spect-actor will be explained, and the participants will have the chance to pause the scene and step in as the protagonist in order to attempt to solve the cyberbullying problem. This will be followed by a discussion on what worked well, and what did not work so well in the scene and why. 



Conclusion - The group will then form a circle for an end discussion. At this point, we shall refer back to the previous statements, and read out the facts about cyberbullying:



ABI - More than 20% of people online have been bullied on the internet
   Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once.

KIERA - I often see people being bullied online                                               70% of students report seeing frequent bullying online.

KATY.B - I have seen cyberbullying online and not reported it                          90% of teens who have seen social-media bullying say they have ignored it.

KATY.A - I use my mobile phone for social networking everyday
                     Over 80% of teens use a mobile phone regularly, making it the most common medium for cyber bullying.

ABI - I believe cyberbullying is a serious problem
                                              68% of teens agree that cyber bullying is a serious problem.

KIERA - I believe cyberbullying online is easier to get away with than bullying someone in person                                                                                           81% of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.

KATY.B - Boys are more likely to be bullied online
                                       KATY.A - Girls are more likely to be the ‘bully’ online                                      Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying.



To finish, we will allow the participants time to ask any questions and give feedback on the session, as well as suggesting some sites to visit if they would like to learn more on cyberbullying.

My Evaluation of the workshop: 

Initially, I was surprised by the number of students attending the workshop. We expected around 20 participants, but facilitated to about 30. This proved quite difficult as the participants were excited and therefore very loud and chatty. Keeping the group quiet and focused was probably the most challenging part of the process - our initial focus game (with participants ordering themselves alphabetically in silence) helped with this. However, I believe that we would have benefitted from introducing a small technique to refocus the group throughout. For example, if we had established a simple exercise where the facilitators clap and the participants clap back, this would have been an easy yet effective way of getting the attention of such a large group. 

Another obstacle for us as facilitators was finding a way to encourage participants that were less willing to become involved. We had expected that due to the class being Year 8's, and therefore having not picked Drama as a subject for GCSE, that some participants may not be an enthusiastic as others for the subject. I think that had we known the group more personally then it would have been easier to encourage others. For example, if there was time to get to know the names of all participants, it would be easier to say, 'Okay, Jenny and Olivia have had a lot of ideas today, does anyone else have any thoughts?' 

I think that the structure of our workshop worked well. By introducing Image Theatre to the group, they were able to work together to create a small piece without the exercise seeming too challenging. This then led on to us performing a short Forum Theatre scene in which the participants could become involved. The head of Drama at Hayesfield Girls School was doubtful as to wether the girls would be willing to perform in the Forum Theatre piece. However, we were pleasantly surprised as the scene was ran about 3 times, with 3 different participants being involved, creating different solutions to the cyberbullying problem shown. We did have a 'back-up plan' incase the participants did not want to perform themselves - we would have asked the group for their suggestions on how to improve the outcome of the scene, but one of the facilitators would act it instead. 

Today, were given some additional feedback on our first rehearsal of our cyberbullying workshop, including positive feedback and constructive criticisms from the rest of the class. Some of the positive comments mentioned were:

Working well as a group, with all facilitators confidently and clearly working together through the exercises.

Due to the workshop being created specifically for year 8 students, the theme of cyberbullying was relevant and useful.

Our group dealt well with this sensitive subject and participants felt that we were in no way judgemental.

Participants felt good when leaving the workshop - they felt as if they had a thorough and fulfilling experience as they journeyed through it.

The workshop ended with a very lively discussion, backed up by good questioning by the facilitators, which gave a sense of completion. 

I was very pleased with these comments, and our group will ensure that this feedback is carried through to the workshop. There were also some points made about improvements, as follows:

Our group needs to chose either bullying or cyberbullying as the theme, in order to keep the workshop concise and relevant. (We have chosen cyberbullying). This means ensuring that our aim is clear and is met.

Due to our group already deciding that an introductory name game is not necessary, there was a suggestion to brainstorm cyberbullying with the participants to begin initial ideas. E.g. what is cyberbullying?

At the beginning of the workshop, ask participants what social networking sites they use online, as well as informing them of facts to do with cyberbullying. E.g 'Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once.' Available from: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying 

The latter part of our workshop, using Forum Theatre, became less clear and somewhat less structured, especially when asking the participants to create their own speck-actor scene to work with.

1. What is useful for the children about the teacher/ faciltator acting in role? This way of teaching through role playing is brilliant for the children’s creative development and is a way of using stories/narratives familiar to them to open their eyes to the wider world and discuss any issues. By having the teacher/facilitator in role I think this makes the entire exercise different and exciting for the children: to have a real life character present makes the scenario seem more realistic and therefore more important for them to solve this problem. 2. What are the important things to remember/ consider when using role play? When using role play to teach children, it is important to consider that not all children will have experienced an adult role playing before, they may therefore act strangely to this by laughing and giggling due to confusion. In order to allow all children to understand the idea of the adult in role, it is important to remember to go with the pace of the children when the adult in role (AIR) is first introduced. The teacher/facilitator not in role could try the following: “Um, it is a bit funny. But I’m not sure Mrs Brown is doing this to make us laugh. I’ll ask her, Mrs Brown.” “Yes?” “Are you trying to make us laugh?” “No! This person is very upset.” “Oh, I see. Right then we’ll have to be careful not to laugh.” “She does look very upset. I wonder if we could ask her what’s the matter.” This way, all children are given the chance to understand the role playing activity and can all begin to feel comfortable becoming activity involved in the problem-solving to come.

1 . Who is the company and what is the particular project you would like to look at? (Please write a paragragh explaining who they are and what they are trying to do) I have chosen to focus on Dr. Helena Enright and her Theatre of Testimony. I am going to look at a particular project from 2007, a devised piece of theatre titled ‘Walking Away’ created by Limerick based Theatre company ‘amalgamotion’. Dr. Helena Enright explains, ‘My aim is to create theatre that enables people to better understand themselves and make sense of this world we live in. I am passionate about community arts and have worked on a wide variety of community arts projects since 2001. Since 2006 I have written, directed and performed in a number of Theatre of Testimony plays.’ http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/helena-enright/41/831/61

'Walking Away is based on the true testimony of women who have survived domestic abuse and was written using the documentary style with particular reference to Theatre of Testimony; a form of theatre which uses real people's real words to give a voice to those who often don't have the opportunity to be heard. A tribute to the strength and courage of these women the play follows the stories and extraordinary experiences of real women who have somehow found the strength to walk away from domestic abuse.' http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsE/enright-helena.html

Playing a part: the impact of youth theatre on young people’s personal and social development Jenny Hughes & Karen Wilson

1. Did anything surprise you or strike you about the impact of youth theatre on young people’s personal and social development? - Please describe this section of the paper.

This section of the paper mentioned many impacts which youth theatre has on young peoples’ personal development and social development. However, what suprised me most of all was the reoccuring mention by youth theatre participants of how youth theatre was originally introduced to them as a means of temporary ‘escape’ from reality. Many participants seemed to enjoy the idea of using drama and performance as a way to open up emotionally without having to do so as themselves in daily life. Participants mentioned having a greater freedom ‘to be yourself’ as they were said to feel accepted within their youth theatres, due to the sense of community the group can bring. Participants were then able to utilise this and feel much more confident within themselves in different environments - whether that be a formal, or informal environment.

2. What other benefits can you imagine Youth theatre having on young people which may not be decribed here. ● improved confidence; ● improved performance skills; ● more friends/improved ability to make friends; ● improved ability to be myself; ● greater open mindedness; ● ability to understand and work with other people; ● improved ability to express myself; ● increased happiness; ● diversion from getting into trouble; ● increased ability to deal with difficult/negative experiences.

As well as these impacts, I would suggest that youth theatre helps young people with skills such as - commitment, dedication and organisational skills e.g. time-keeping. I agree that youth theatre has a wide range of beneficial impacts on young people, especially during teen years which prove difficult for many young people as they become overwhelmed and stressed during this transitional period of their life. I therefore believe youth theatre to be advantageous to young people in developing social skills and interaction, their own personal well-being, but also helping them to become comfortable in work-life, professional environments where they learn to be prepared, open-minded, and contribute consistently. This attitude may then be seen to be carried through to other areas of their day-to-day life.

3. How would you use the particular information in this document to develop your work with young people? What area of development would you focus on and how?

If I were to use this information to develop my work with young people, I would chose to focus on helping participants gain an improved ability to express themself. I would chose this as I believe the ability to channel your emotions and to express yourself in a healthy way is very positive for everyone, whether they struggle expressing themselves or not. In order to allow a group to feel comfortable and accepted, I would probably start with a few simple activies, with the group in a circle, to allow all participants the chance to feel settled and welcome - which is key when hoping to aid participants in expressing their emotions. I would start myself, as the facilitator, by telling the group something which has happened to me recently which triggered an emotion in myself - whether this be happy, excited, angry, jealous etc. I would explain that it can be something as small as, ‘I was annoyed the other day as I was late to meet a friend and I couldn’t find my car keys’, so that all participants are aware that it doesn’t have to be something abnormal or extraordinary.

1. Please explain Friere's theories behind the banking model of education?  Friere explains the "banking" concept of education as an act: the teacher depositing information to the student. The student merely memorizes and repeats this information without a true, deeper understanding of what is being told to them. Therefore, the student becomes passive and is given a fragmented view of reality - while the teacher is the Subject of the learning process, the pupils are mere objects. However, not all teachers may be aware that they narrate their knowledge in this way and may not mean to, as Friere says, "dehumanize" students, but it does serve to attempt to control the thinking and action of the students and "inhibit their creative power".

2. Do you agree that the banking model is a bad way of teaching? If so why? If not why? Give examples from your own experience of teachers. I can agree that, from personal experience, the "banking" concept of education is not the most effective way of teaching in most cases as it does not allow the students to form their own opinions and judgments on the world. However, I believe that this may vary depending on the subject/area being taught. For example, during my last two years at secondary school, I sat in class for 4 hours a week learning GSCE maths. Our 500 page text book and our teacher were the two points of reference given to us to assist us through the exams, and each week our teacher would work through the text book and regurgitate theories and methods to us. He would often be asked, 'When will I ever use this in real life?' 'How is this going to be useful to me?' To which he would reply, 'It may not be, but you need to learn it.' This told me that, as a student interested in Drama and English, I merely had to retain this information until the exam date, to then never use it again. However, I don't believe my teacher could have answered any other way because even he knew that much of his knowledge he "filled" us with could not be contextualized.  On the other hand, with a subject such as English or Drama, I believe that the "banking" model of education will be even less effective as these are creative, ever-changing subjects which cannot simply be regurgitated as they constantly evolve and develop through time. Therefore, the teacher and students need to be much more interactive in order for the student to gain a rounded knowledge of the subject. 

3. How do Friere's theories around teaching methods relate to Boals theories of oppression / liberation? Give specific examples. 

Boal's theories of oppression and liberation are closely related to Friere's theories around "liberation education". Friere explains this teaching model as the students and teachers simultaneously teaching and supporting one another. It seeks to resolve the student/teacher contradiction to the role of student among students - this undermines the power of oppression and serves to aid the cause of liberation. Due to the teacher and student undertaking a joint responsibility in the process, all can grow together and students become "critical co-investigators in dialogue with the teacher". Therefore, a constant unveiling of reality begins and an emergence of consciousness.  Boal believed that the human was a self-contained theatre, actor and spectator in one. Because we can observe ourselves in action, we can amend, adjust and alter our actions to have different impact and to change our world. This is what Friere strives for through "liberation education": for students to enhance their knowledge and form their own opinions on the world. For example, in Boal's Image Theatre, participants explore issues of oppression by using nonverbal expression and sculpting their own and other participants’ bodies into physical images that can depict anything concrete or abstract, such as a feeling, issue, or moment - this is a way of eliminating oppression and, in turn, supporting liberation.

4.How do they relate to Nick White's mode of teaching/facilitating he spoke about in the lecture?

1. What specifically stood out for you in the Boal reading? (Give 3 examples, Be specific)

1: When the people from Lima were asked, 'what is explotation?' Many adults pictured similar things, but a child pictured a nail on a wall as his symbol of exploitation. The children must rent a nail on a wall at some place of business, being charged two or three soles per night and per nail. For this child, the picture perfectly represented exploitation, and his resentment and anger towards it.

2: In 1973 in Peru, of its 14 million people population, between 3 and 4 million people were illiterate or semi-illiterate. This problem is magnified as Peru is home to 45 different languages. However, these illiterate people are not people who are incapable of expressing themselves, but they cannot express themselves through a particular language, which in this case is Spanish.

3: The other concept which stood out for me was this idea of photography being a language in its own right and how a camera has been utilised to allow these people to communicate and answer questions.

2. What is your response to that? (Did it make you think about something - if so, what? Did it raise questions for you - if so, what are they?)

1: For me, this has forced me to think of what I myself would picture if asked, 'what is exploitation?'. Honestly, I could not think of anything that directly affected me in such a way as the child's picture affected himself. However, it has made me think that different social groups/communities will have different symbols that mean something to them, but their symbol can be equally as powerful, expressive and influential.

2: The idea that about 1/3 of the population of Peru at the time were illiterate was initially shocking as this is such a high number, however, it is important that it has been pointed out that these people are still able of communication and expression, just not through the means of speaking Spanish. There are many other ways of expressing yourself and what you think, as shown through the use of photography.

3: The concept of photography being its own language has led me to think of theatre in the same way. However, the main difference is that how to use a camera can be explained to somebody quickly, and a picture taken at the press of a button. However, being able to express yourself through theatre would mean the person becoming the actor, and having to express themselves using their own bodies which is a more difficult task.

3. What can we learn from Boals experience with the mans picture of home? (pp. 100)

The mans picture of 'home' was initially thought to have been a misunderstanding on his part, due to his picture being of a child covered in blood, and others' pictures being of a river, or a shack. However, the man explains himself and says that this child was attacked by a rat as he slept, and he has pictured this child as 'home' as they live in a place where these happenings are still allowed to occur. From Boals experience, we can learn that everyone can communicate, no matter where they are from or how educated they are, as photography is a language which has allowed this man to express his feelings and thoughts, although his picture was different to everybody elses. This also shows that everyones interpretations vary, and whether this is through the language of photography or theatre, everyone should feel able to speak in a safe environment and have their voice heard.

4. Please explain Boals first two sections (1. Knowing the body, 2. Making the body expressive) briefly in your own words.

Knowing the body

This is the first stage of Boal's four stage plan of how to turn a spectator (audience member) into the actor. Knowing the body is exactly what Boal is wanting - to be able to express oneselves through the body, to be aware of your own bodies strengths and limitations, and to be able to control your body. A person's job or way of life may be a contributing factor as to why that person has limitations, for example: an office worker spends most of their time sat, but with their hands and fingers constantly at work, whereas a farmer will spend most of their time walking, therefore the body will naturally accomdate itself to aid the person depending on the type of work they undertake regularly. The aim is to rid of 'muscular alienation' and to reverse the muscular structure of the participants through exercises, to then allow the participant to physically undertake the role of another's profession.

Making the body expressive

READING 1 - Chavs

1. What negative stereotypes do you have about Chav’s? Personally, I do not have a negative stereotype about ‘Chavs’. It is hard to give an exact definition of what a ‘Chav’ is, and I’m sure everyones definition would vary. Generally, people tend to agree that a ‘Chav’ is a young person, from the working-class, who has little motivation. Society tends to believe that ‘Chavs’ will get their 15 year old girlfriend pregnant, will wear burberry sport-style clothes, and will cause some sort of commotion. But I believe it is unfair to stereotype people in this way: does this mean that any young girl who becomes pregnant is a chav? Or that anyone who wears sport-style clothing is a ‘hoodlem’? It is these types of words which have become synonymous with the word ‘Chav’, and although many people would laugh at these types of comments, ‘Chav’ could be an offensive term to some. In fact, many people would probably say that a lot of my friends would come under this category, or even I myself. My parents and friends would laugh now and say that I went through a ‘Chav-stage’ around the age of 13 because I wore the brand ‘McKenzie’ and big hoop earrings, and I myself would laugh at their comments. However, the word ‘Chav’ does not just refer to the physical stereotype, but is a derogatory term towards the working-class.

2. Where do you think your stereotypes come from? I believe the stereotype comes from many sources, the main contribution coming from the internet/media. Having had a social networking site from around the age of 11, these kinds of terms were used by others my age online and the terms were available to look up definitions online in seconds. The word ‘Chav’ was used a lot during my secondary school years at private school, and then comedy TV shows such as ‘Little Britain’ aired for amusement, which I suppose is one reason why society finds it acceptable to use the term casually.

3. What negative stereotypes can you find in the media about Chavs? List one specific example, addressing each of the following:

"Picture this a young lad about 12 years of age and 4 ½ feet high baseball cap at ninety degrees in a imitation addidas tracksuit, with trouser legs tucked into his socks (of course, is definitely the height of fashion). This lad is strutting around, fag in one hand jewellery al over the over, outside McDonalds acting as if he is 8 foot tall and built like a rugby player, when some poor unsuspecting adult (about 17/18) walks round the corner wanting to go to mcdonalds for his dinner glances at the young lad, the young lad jumps up in complete disgust and says “Whats your problem? Wanna make sommin of it? Bling Bling” when the adult starts to walk towards the young lad, the young lad pisses himself and runs off to either his pregnant 14-year-old girlfriend or his brother in the army crying his eyes out"

- What is the source (tabloid / politician’s speech / television show - which one)? Urban Dictionary (website) - used by many younger teenagers.

- What specific language is used in this example? Ironically, due to Urban Dictionary being a site that can be added to/edited by any internet user, this stereotypical definition of a ‘Chav’ is very poorly worded and lacks basic punctuation. Some may say a ‘Chav’ themself wrote this passage.

- What does this language imply about chavs? Interestingly, the last section of the passage reads, ‘runs off…crying his eyes out’. This implies that the entire ‘Chav’ identity is all false, an act, and maybe people act this way as a front, to protect themselves. Otherwise, the language implies negative connotations with ‘Chavs’: smoking, hanging around by shops because they have nothing better to do and abusive behaviour towards others.

4. How does this relate to Thursdays lecture (9th) and Applied Theatre? This relates to our lecture as we discussed stereotypes and different social narratives. I believe that ‘Chavs’ or the working-class come into the category of marginalised social narratives as their opinion may be seen as less valid or of less importance. Applied theatre is concerned with individuals and communities and with empowering people to have a voice. Maybe an Applied Theatre Workshop would allow them to speak to society and have their voice heard in a safe environment, so that negative terms like ‘Chav’ may be filtered out of society.

READING 2 - Prendergast.M and Saxton.J - Applied theatre: international case studies and challenges for practice

1 - How would you describe applied theatre to someone who has not read this introduction or experienced applied theatre in other ways?

Applied Theatre is a very broad term. Generally, Applied Theatre is a term which is used to describe all different branches of theatre/performance that are heavily community based and that aim to make a change in society by alerting the audience of an issue. Unlike 'traditional theatre', Applied Theatre pieces are not usually performed on proscenium arch stages, and are not usually created from a pre-written script. Instead, these performances may be partially improvised, and marginalised communities and/or the audience may be involved with the acting work, creating a safe and entertaining way of allowing peoples voices' to be heard.

2 - Reread the thumbnail descriptions of applied theatre practices (pp. 1-6) Which of these types of applied theatre most draws your interest? What is it that attracts you to this particular form? Write a reflection that begins with, 'I could see myself working in this particular area of applied theatre because...'