Forum Theatre, a branch of the so-called Theatre of the Oppressed, is an interactive and participatory form of theatre developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal in the 1970s. This unique approach has the potential to explore a community’s voice and raise awareness by empowering people with a tool that encourages them to change reality through their own suggestions for real social issues.
How does Forum Theatre work?
A Forum Theatre performance will start with a conventional play for audience to witness the situation. Then the facilitator will inform the audience that the play will play again, but this time, they, now called spec-actors, have power to intervene and try to change the consequences. The play then continues with the directions suggested by the ‘spec-actors’.
The play may also end with an unresolved situation, inviting audience members to step in and propose solutions by replacing characters and acting out alternative scenarios.
See the chart below of how a typical forum theatre performance is conducted.
How Forum Theatre Enhances Community Engagement
- Active Participation: Audience members become “spect-actors,” actively participating in problem-solving rather than passively observing like in the conventional play.
- Empowerment: It empowers the marginalised individuals in the audience to address real-life challenges and voice in their opinions/suggested solutions.
- Problem-Solving: Encourages community members to work together in finding solutions to shared problems.
- Safe Space for Dialogue: Forum theatre potentially becomes a safe environment for ‘the oppressed’ to discuss the sensitive or controversal problems with other people who may share the same situations.
Why is Forum Theatre Suitable to Raising Awareness
- Emotional Connection: It creates empathy by allowing participants to step into the shoes of different characters.
- Visualisation of Issues: Complex social problems are presented in a tangible, relatable format.
- Immediate Feedback: Provides instant feedback on proposed solutions, fostering critical thinking.
- Accessibility: It breaks down barriers of language and literacy, making information accessible to diverse audiences.
Forum Theatre and Protect Us from Tetanus project
A recent survey on young people’s interest in learning about the top 10 infectious diseases revealed that tetanus ranks second to last. The result highlights a serious potential problem that needs addressing, given that many young people in Vietnam are not vaccinated against this dangerous disease.
Beyond its clinical dangers, tetanus can be really costly. At the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the estimated treatment cost for 152 tetanus cases in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is 8.5 billion VND(*).
Recognising the need for public and community engagement activities to spread the dangers of tetanus and the importance of vaccination, the Youth Science Ambassadors (YSAs) have chosen forum theatre as their communication tool. They believe this interactive approach will effectively engage more young people, both in-person and online.
A completely unscripted play will tour four schools in Ho Chi Minh City (University of Social Sciences and Humanities – HCMC National University, Ho Chi Minh University of Culture, Fulbright University, and Van Lang University), offering live, in-person performances.
For those unable to attend these on-site sessions, the community-led scenarios will be digitalised and made available online.
Stay tuned to discover how we engage with our audience and to experience our first forum theatre play for yourself!
