Participatory Theatre

We have been undertaking participatory theatre workshop with a group of migrant mothers, where they constructed dramatic scenes of their choice on the topic of migration and mothering, using playback and forum theatre techniques (Boal 1979). The workshops re-imagine migrant mothers' caring and citizenship practices through performance practice.

These methods propose interventions in the participants' cultural and social context, producing interactive, emotionally as well as culturally rich data. Through participatory theatre's creative articulations of how migrant mothers 'enact citizenship', the research network co-produces theoretical and empirical knowledge with the migrant mothers, establishing a dialogical space where narratives of citizenship from 'marginalised' groups can challenge and rupture existing narratives of citizenship, as suggested by the theoretical notion of 'enacting citizenship'. The techniques of playback and forum theatre, as well as the reflections and discussions of participants about the scenes allow for an enactment of differences and conflicts between them, as well as recognition of shared positionings.

Last updated: 29 June 2022