Digital Participatory Theatre: Living Newspaper

Following on from the first series of ‘Open Playground’ events, we are excited to host four new events providing an online space in which participatory theatre makers and facilitators can connect with their peers and try out new ideas.

In response to practitioners who attended the first ‘Open Playground’ events, each new playground will focus on a different form of participatory theatre with an emphasis on exploring the possibilities of delivering these forms online (full details below):

Playback Theatre (22nd October)

Living Newspaper (29th October)

Forum Theatre (5th November)

Devising (12th November)

Each ‘Open Playground’ will be facilitated by a member of the Collective Encounters’ team, with contributions from a guest practitioner. These sessions will go beyond workshop games to explore how practitioners are delivering the fundamentals of these forms online.

These ‘Open Playground’ events are not training events but facilitated forums in which new and emerging practice can be tested and shared.

For background information on some of the challenges and unexpected benefits of delivering participatory theatre online please read: Delivering Participatory Theatre During Social Distancing: What’s Working?

These ‘Open Playground’ events form part of Collective Encounters Centre for Excellence in Participatory Theatre sector support programme during COVID-19.

29 October: Living Newspaper with Sarah Thornton

Living Newspaper is a form of political theatre, dramatizing current affairs and social and political issues. Historically, the Living Newspaper form is associated with the Epic Theatre tradition in Europe and the Federal Theatre Project in the United States. The aim of Living Newspapers is to provide audiences with accurate and factual information around current events. Typically, the form breaks traditional theatrical conventions in favour of direct address and interactive elements to educate audiences and provoke social debate and action.

Sarah Thornton is founder and Artistic Director of Collective Encounters. Growing out of 20 years of experience as a professional theatre director, community arts facilitator, arts manager, theatre academic and researcher, she established the company to make exciting, ethical, collaborative theatre and to explore its potential to contribute to social change.

You will be sent a link to the zoom session after registering online.