Practicing Conflict Transformation Through Forum Theater Facilitators

During this workshop, participants will learn about Forum Theatre, a rare style of performance grounded in transformative justice. Forum Theatre utilizes role-play techniques to examine conflict situations and uncover practical ways for people to advocate for themselves and the people around them. Imagine’s Director of Programs, Catherine Hanna Schrock, will lead the learning along with a team of actors who will share excerpts of “Zion’s Story”, Imagine’s new play for youth and families presented through a Forum Theatre model. Participants will have the chance to work through this model while learning the structure of a Forum Theatre play. Then participants will design and role-play scenes that they collectively create and that look at the challenging situations that they navigate in their classrooms and work at large. Over the course of the workshop, participants will aggregate a broad toolbox of actions and techniques for navigating communication, classroom management and other challenging situations Teaching Artists encounter in the work.