Videos: Forum Theatre and Workshop Exercises

Clip: Forum Theatre: Starting the Sessions with the Parents Group:

This is an example of the first piece of forum theatre with the mothers’ group, where the research fellow showed a domestic scene based on her previous research. She asked the mothers to reflect on the scene and create their own interventions.

Clip: Forum Theatre: Asking for Leave from the Headteacher:

This is an example of participants intervening into a forum theatre scene. The scene shows a mother asking for special leave for her child from the head teacher in order to visit a sick relative abroad. This is based on the lived transnational experiences of some of the members of the North London mothers’ group, co-facilitated by the academic investigator.

Clip: Forum Theatre: Social Workers Interacting and Performing in Workshops:

This is an example of Forum Theatre. We invited two social workers to attended two workshops with the group of NRPF mothers. The social workers responded through performance to a scene the NRPF mothers’ group had created. This was followed by discussion.

Clip: Forum Theatre: Social Services and No Recourse to Public Funds:

This is an example of a Forum Theatre scene the NRPF mothers’ group created. They showed this scene to the social workers (who had been invited for two workshop sessions). The clip shows the ensuing discussion and the social workers’ feedback.

Clip: Intervention Warm-up: Move Someone from the Chair:

This is a theatre improvisation exercise that the research fellow uses to teach the process of Forum Theatre interventions through ‘play’ with the girls’ group. As in all other exercises, the researchers took part, as can be seen in this clip.

Clip: Talking to the Panel:

This is an exercise developed by the research fellow to inform policy. The girls group were asked to suggest changes they want to see in the school, society, public spaces, etc. The researchers ‘act’ as the panel’s officials.