TYPE OF WORK
Participatory, applied, community and educational theatre

TARGET GROUPS
Children and young people, elderly women, prisoners, people with disability and learning disability, the homeless, people affected by AIDS and people addressing mental health issues

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, North Africa and Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Central and Eastern Europe, Western and Southern Europe.

COMPANY POLICY
To model a crossover from professional to non-professional and from one medium discipline to another. It is the energy and inspiration raised around such events that makes possible a galvanising of groups who might not experience themselves as creative.

To train contact groups in the artistic and pedagogical skills to disseminate work further.

The purpose of Ali Campbell's work is the imparting of transferable skills that endure, through the process of creating performance, which is ephemeral.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 1 +
Number of participants:  2-700
Preparation time: Varies
Contact time: Varies

Malawian Artists Fighting AIDS (Malawi, 1995)
Directed and facilitated six forum theatre pieces on all aspects of living with AIDS made by a training pool of 50 actors, musicians and health workers. Each in a different mother tongue. Performances in markets, schools, villages upcountry, targeting whole communities, young men and women, sex workers etc. Audiences of up to 2000. Partners: British Council, ATOBA.

The Bees and The Flies (Eritrea, 1999)
Large-scale community performance in the village of Saladaro, in the Tigrinya tongue, adapting a local legend to articulate issues around access to health are, female circumcision, clean water, conflict resolution and children's rights after the 30-year war. Director and facilator of 20 Eritrean artists and students in techniques Council, Queen Mary, University of London, Leeds University, Asmara University.

Poor Ted/Substance and Solution (UK, 1995)
Dramaturg and forum trainer for a forum theatre project written and devised with 9-12 year-olds, exploring issues around substance abuse. Subject of several major evaluations (can be seen on request). The project is still touring nationally and has been seen by more than half a million young people. Partners: Health and education authorities nationally, British Aerosol Manufacturer's Association, Theatre in Education companies.

Young At/Making Space/Stranmillis University (UK, ongoing)
Mentor, facilitator and project director of ongoing programme broadening and ACD training across Northern Ireland. Programme has included training workshops for those working with young people in a non-school setting; an integrated residential project for disabled and able-bodied young people and the programmes with young mothers and schools, including teaching training.

Thanet Sings
Co-facilitating and training working with a wide range of community groups in Thanet singing and devising. With Glyndebourne Opera Education and the Arts Council New Connections scheme, (UK, spring-summer 2003)

Breakthrough
A three-year workshop and forum theatre performance programme involving professional actors from Proteus Theatre Company and disabled and mental health groups. (2001-03)

Ali Campbell
20 Loder Road
Brighton BN1 6PJ

T +44 (0) 1273 553 168 (home)
T +44 (0) 7882 3793 (work)
Mobile +44 (0) 7761 010 392

E  a.m.campbell@qmul.ac.uk

“I looked at what you were doing together and instantly I knew that what you were doing came not from the head but the heart.”
Dr Martin Welton, University of London (drama), on an intergenerational collaboration involving applied theatre students (2003)

“Ali Campbell is a dynamo of energy in action, inspiring me as much as his students.”
Stephanie Gill, English National Opera, on a primary school opera project (2003)

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