Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

By its very nature, theatre as community dialogue can advance the development of creativity and cultural diversity whilst encouraging learners to use imagination and empathy to envision possible futures. In these settings, creative learning naturally instigates discussions about identity, diversity, justice, and action. In this hands-on workshop, participants are guided through a fun and engaging documentary theatre workshop that embodies a framework designed and developed by the presenter at Harvard University. Stemming from his work with actress, playwright, educator, and MacArthur Fellow Anna Deavere Smith, American actor and scholar Jordan Campbell will lead attendees in one-on-one interviews as an approach to storytelling and empathy-building. The practice of “embodying the other” provides a natural opportunity to build empathy for others and extends theatre-as-community building into a practical application that can be used for deeper understanding. Attendees will leave the session with a complete roadmap on how to recreate this exercise in their own communities, including a modified activity plan for the virtual environment and considerations for when participants are masked.