Interactive Forum Theatre is a powerful social platform, designed to encourage healthy dialogue around community issues. Using the universal language of image, we bring you an entertaining night of theatre, with further potential to deepen thought, increase empathy, and ultimately improve the way we treat one another. Participation is voluntary.
This style of Forum Theatre comes from Canadian-based Theatre for Living (TfL), which was adapted from the Theatre of the Oppressed works designed by Brazilian visionary and director, Augusto Boal (as featured in the NSW high school syllabus).
In Forum Theatre, we show the audience a play all the way through, and then start playing it a second time. Audience members can stop the action during a replay and enter the stage themselves, replacing characters with whom they identify, and try to solve problems or issues inside the story. The theatre becomes a creative rehearsal for transforming ourselves, our communities and the world.
The plays we present are created by local community members, all with a lived experience of the subject matter, in a week-long workshop intensive.
While based on real-life events and issues, the plays and characters we create are entirely fictitious – short plays based on the collective life experiences of the workshop participants.
Support People (often counsellors) will be present at performances, however this is NOT designed as therapy. This event is about the process of creating great theatre, and a meaningful community dialogue about the issues of racism and cultural integration … all in the safe space of play!
This project is proudly funded by NSW Government (Regional Youth), and City of Coffs Harbour through its Arts and Cultural Development Grants program.
Our work is further made possible by the support of Orara High School, and the Murwillumbah Theatre Company Inc.