Augusto Boal's legacy
Forum theatre and participatory drama (pioneered by Augusto Boal) ask audience members to act out alternative endings to scenes of injustice. It is powerful, and can be risky if not held with care.
Three rules:
1. CONSENT IS LIVE — participants opt in moment-to-moment and may step out without explanation. 2. NO AMBUSH — never assign a role re-enacting someone's own trauma without prior conversation. 3. CLOSE THE CIRCLE — every session ends with a debrief and a quiet activity. People should leave grounded.
A trained facilitator is non-optional for community participatory work.
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