Implementing drama therapy in a French school: When drama therapy meets sociocracy

Abstract

This article focuses on describing the use of drama therapy to deepen one school’s adoption of sociocracy. The school opened in the south of Paris, France a year ago for children who did not ‘fit’ in the public school system. Sociocracy was chosen as a way to share the school’s governance and involve students in decision-making processes. Drama therapy tools such as role-playing and/or forum theatre-based exercises were used to implement the intervention. This article explains sociocracy, provides the overarching school context, and identifies how drama therapy techniques were used to make sociocracy a dynamic process.