Forum Theatre
Forum theatre is one of the « theatre of the oppressed » techniques created by during the 1960’s to support communities wishing to change social injustice.
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We continue to use it today to challenge unfair laws, abuses of power and oppressive systems. |
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That said, much of our work is based on the assumption that social reforms and personal development go together: one cannot change the world without questioning one’s own preconceptions. |
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A typical forum theatre session
- The initial scenario: Actors play out an « everyday story » drawing on actual events which just happen to end badly; injury, resentment, guilt, hatred etc.
- The forum. The facilitator initiates a debate to draw out the audience’s thoughts and feelings and their suggestions as to how one might alter the story.
- Forum theatre. A member of the audience replaces a character on stage to test their ideas. The scenario is replayed and the audience discusses the changes they have seen and the actors discuss their feelings about the changes. Other ideas emerge, are developed and included in a new scenario and so the process continues.
The four main considerations of the forum theatre :
1. Forum theatre uses a systemic approach: change one character and you change the whole system.
2. The thought process draws upon real situations. The audience cannot remain passively contemplating the events but brings the situation to life in order to fully evaluate the pros and cons of each scenario.
3. Forum theatre questions the whole person. We do not “talk around the subject” but must “live” the problem with mind and body. By becoming aware of one’s preconceptions and fears but also one’s strengths through the role play, the spectator learns to channel their responses in stressful or conflict situations and is therefore more likely to embody the values of forum theatre.
4. The group is an essential tool enabling people to differentiate between observation and interpretation - what we observe and how we interpret it. Working as a group also favours collective intelligence.