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Forum Theatre is a unique approach to facilitation – creating space for change and reflection through creativity, play, and certainly some bravery (to begin with!)

Though the concept fascinates me, I have not had the chance to explore it in as much detail as I would have liked to. To have Pernille Jacobsen, a brilliant facilitator and Forum Theatre practitioner, join me on workshops work gave me the opportunity to change that – and I was not left disappointed.

Forum Theatre and facilitation share many similarities but cast the other in new lights when considered as two halves of a ‘whole’.

In this episode, you will find out about: 

• What makes Forum Theatre unique and so impactful
• How Forum Theatre works on a practical level, and how Pernille uses it in a facilitative setting
• What Forum Theatre has taught Pernille as a facilitator, and what facilitation has taught her as a Forum Theatre practitioner
• How, if at all, Forum Theatre can be translated into a virtual environment
• What facilitation and Forum Theatre might look like in the future

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A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!

Questions and Answers

[01:11] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?
[03:03] What would your hashtag be?
[05:47] Can you explain more about Forum Theatre?
[09:19] Are participants actively involved in scenes from the beginning, or do you take the lead on the performance and bring them in afterwards?
[18:38] Do participants play themselves or put themselves in others’ shoes?
[21:00] How do you debrief in Forum Theatre?
[24:09] Do you combine Forum Theatre with other types of facilitation?
[25:21] What have you learned about facilitation from Forum Theatre, and vice versa?
[29:00] How do you brief a group before starting a Forum Theatre workshop?
[38:02] What makes workshops fail?
[42:32] How do you translate Forum Theatre into a virtual environment?
[45:08] Are participants more willing or reluctant online?
[48:44] What is your vision for Forum Theatre in 2021?
[52:42] What one thing would you like listeners to take away from this episode?

Links

• Klods-Hans for Viderekomne - Pernille's Forum Theatre venture 
• Forum Theatre
• Snapstories - Pernille’s conversational game
• Augusto Boal – the inventor of Forum Theatre/theatre of the oppressed
• Katrin Byreus – Pernille’s biggest role model when it comes to Forum Theatre and facilitation 

Connect to Pernille

• Pernille's LinkedIn
• Pernille's website 

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/