Forum Theatre in Action

This video shows aspects of the entire process of Forum Theatre. We see a section of a performance that addresses a societal issue, in this case child marriage abuse of women. At a specific point in the play, the Joker pauses the action, and chooses a spect-actor volunteer to try a different solution. The actors then turn into "agents of oppression", challenging the girl's attempts at a solution until she is able to make the powerful statement, "Women have some rights too!" Sanjoy Ganguly, the founder and artistic director of the Jana Sanskriti company writes,  "We have learned from people in villages, and from talking to people in the development world, that while there have been interventions in the rural areas, there has not been the kind of sustained involvement that we believe in."

http://www.janasanskriti.org/index.html

In this Ugandan village, the issue of maternal and infant death is a harsh reality. It appears that the group that came to this community to perform and lead this Forum, had the specific goal of creating a birthing center in the village. Perhaps because the issue at hand deals with an immediate physical danger, the action taken (building the birth center) is manifested in a more physical way. It is also interesting to note that although the central issue was maternal and infant death, the performance also touches on problems like patriarchal oppression and alcoholism.

Theatre of the Oppressed NYC is a New York based company that partners with a variety of different communities in order to address issues such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, and homelessness. In this performance, "It Could Happen To You", all of the actors are  homeless. While homelessness is an urgent and widespread issue, this forum touches more on psychological, social, and financial oppression, rather than immediate physical danger.

http://www.theatreoftheoppressednyc.org/

Similar to Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, Cardboard Citizens is a London based Forum Theatre company focused both on giving a voice to the homeless population as well as education and outreach. In 2011, Cardboard Citizens reached 900 homeless people in London, 350 homeless people attended workshops, and 81 of it's members moved into volunteering or work.

http://www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk/