TYPE OF WORK
Participatory theatre projects in war and conflict settings. Theatre programmes with socially excluded young people and in various institutional and education settings, including schools, museums, heritage sites and prisons.

TARGET GROUPS

• Young people and communities affected by war and conflict
• Human rights and psychosocial programmes
• Socially excluded young people
• Educational settings

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, North America, South America, South Asia

COMPANY POLICY
To develop research and practice in applied theatre, the practice of theatre and drama in non-traditional settings and with marginalised communities, which engages with areas of social and cultural policy such as public health, education, criminal justice, heritage site interpretation and development.

James Thompson is a director of the Centre for Applied Theatre Research at Manchester University Drama Department. As well as undertaking ACD projects, the centre evaluates and researches into ACD programmes and has created a manual of practice on theatre and development called ARTPAD.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 1
Number of participants: 200
Preparation time: Varies
Contact time: 4 years maximum

PERMANENT STAFF
James Thompson, Director
Anthony Jackson, Director
Viv Gardner, Director
Jenny Hughes, Research Associate
Julie McCarthy, Research Associate

Theatre work with war-affected young people (Sri Lanka, 2000–ongoing)
Aims: To develop the skills of artists and other professionals in using theatre with war-affected young people.

Outcomes: Theatre projects in children’s homes, refugee camps, schools, detention centres and child soldier centres. Each project has diverse aims and outcomes according to agency, community and facilitators. These include psychosocial, human rights and educational objectives.

The project has led to the establishment of a National Network of Applied Theatre Practitioners in Sri Lanka.

Partners: UNICEF, international and local NGOs (from health, education and community development fields), theatre artists and companies.

Sri Lankan project
Continuation and expansion into residential homes. (see Case Study)

Village-based performance
Projects seeking to develop the use of village-based performance forms into ACD projects.

James Thompson
Centre for Applied Theatre Research
Drama Department
Manchester University
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL

T +44 (0)161 275 3357
F +44 (0)161 275 3349

E james.thompson@man.ac.uk
W www.art.man.ac.uk/DRAMA/department/index.htm

“Each one who took part in this programme can train the children in the camps…It was a really good training. It was done in a simple way so that it was understood by everybody.”
Course participant, applied theatre training programme (Sri Lanka, 2001)

“Over 150 participants participated in theatre workshops consisting of prison staff, university students and teachers, island-wide psycho-social workers, community development workers and performance artists. The work was extensive and fulfilling.”
Project report, applied theatre training programme (Sri Lanka, 2000)

“This was an interesting experience and I would love to have the experience to work again with a diverse group.”
Participant, pilot project developed by Big Circle network of applied theatre practitioners (Sri Lanka, 2001)

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