Conversations Through Theatre was a short project designed to explore the reasons why people with poor mental health are more likely to miss health appointments – known as DNA or did not attend.
Over 5 weeks we worked as a theatre company to develop our skills in Forum Theatre, and developed 3 short scenes exploring the barriers to attendance rooted in our own collective experiences, called “Did Not Attend”.
We performed the play to audiences in Bournemouth and Weymouth, and we invited them to contribute to the discussion and to actively think through solutions or improvements together with us.
Forum Theatre was developed by Brazilian theatre director, Augusto Boal.
It’s a part of his work ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’, drama approaches to exploring oppression in active ways, where the audience can join in the action and act out solutions to the social challenges they may be facing.
Read Our Report
Volunteer-Participant Feedback
A family of friends, knowing we’re not alone in this
Really really helped me with my mental health
Felt confident about being a real actor, I would like to take on more
Great to have peer to peer support with similar lived experiences
An opportunity to find something about myself but doing it with others.
This is peer support at its best.
Commissioned by Community Action Network, in Partnership with Public Health Dorset.
Supported by funding from NHS Charities Together via Dorset County Hospital Charity in association with Dorset Community Foundation
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