Theatre of the Commons: a theatrical inquiry into the democratic engagement of former refugee families in Canadian public high school communities

Abstract

Background: This paper describes the creation of a theatrical commons that aimed to broaden and deepen democratic engagement between diverse citizens in one public school community in Manitoba, Canada.Purpose and method: The researchers considered how Forum and Image Theatre provided former refugee youth, guardians, parents and the general public with the opportunity to name and invent different possibilities to address complex school community challenges at an individual and at a policy level. The study utilised critical participatory action research that drew heavily on the theatrical imaginations of Augusto Boal and David Diamond.Main arguments and conclusions: Three recommendations were derived from the findings as they related to the research questions and literature: (1) that Image and Forum Theatre can be used to connect public education to the pursuit of transformative democracy; (2) that Image and Forum Theatre would be a useful means of informing system planning and reflection, and; (3) that a theatrical commons has value for creating space for marginalised voices to influence decision-making.