What is Community Theatre?

WHAT IS APPLIED THEATRE?

Applied theatre are forms of dramatic activity that primarily exist outside conventional mainstream theatre institutions and which are specifically intended to benefit individuals, communities and societies. In theory, it is an umbrella term that stretches beyond the conventions of Western theatre. 

Specifically, community theatre branches off the umbrella term of 'applied theatre', referred to as theatre that is made by and is intended for members of a community. e.g theatre in prisons, building empathy, heritage theatre where people can embrace their identity, theatre in schools to teach lessons. 

SOURCE: performing impact: what is community theatre?

In my opinion, since theatre is truly universal, community theatre is such a strong force to create change and theatre should primarily be created with the motivation to create change in society. Community theatre is enlightening since it creates unity and bonds with people. Forum theatre, developed by Augusto Boal, is an amazing tool in this sense since people get to debate social issues and come to a resolution. The important aspect is the sense of unity and teamwork prevalent in this discussion. Hence, community theatre is of such a grand importance because it can have such an immense impact on someone's life, whether this is helping them to step out of their social shell, to build up empathy or to express their passion for things they feel are wrong and causing injustice within society.

Here are some interesting and thought provoking articles I found concerning community theatre and its relevance/power in the shifting British theatrical landscape:  

Community theatre might not be glamourous, but it changes lives - Lyn Gardner

This article massively challenges the perception of what an actor/creator/artist has to be, and how impactful the art you create is on people, for example young people who may have never experienced theatre before. I think this is hugely important - who you are creating for should be integral to the evolution of the work you present. 

Time we stopped patronising community theatre - The Guardian 

Similarly, this article discusses where community theatre sits within the vast and diverse landscape of theatre and the various genres and styles that are direct connotations of that. Community theatre is clearly different due to its great emphasis on the inclusion of people from the community, and this can often lead to a longer process. But how is community theatre seen by critics and general audiences as such a niche in a vast everchanging pool of theatre? It's a really interesting read. 

Staging a revolution: can theatre be an effective form of activism? The Guardian

This article is moreso about the reasons why we create theatre, and how far theatre can bring about change. It resonated with me since it massively reminded me of the passion I possess for theatre being a vital tool to change perceptions, comment on society and challenge issues and preconceptions. A lot of the ideas in this article go hand in hand with the theories of community theatre. 

Why every artist should be a community artist - The Guardian 

Theatre must look beyond their regular audiences and to society itself - The Guardian

Now is the time for community theatre to steal the show - The Guardian 

Community Theatre at The BRIT School    

This is a project I am hugely excited for, since it reminds me of why I love theatre - the prospect of how significant it is in reflecting society, challenging society and therefore how capable it is of creating a significant change. The things I want to achieve in this project consist of primarily developing my skillset - I am so excited to work further in a field that I have only slightly delved into with Unit 8 Children's Theatre in  Year 10, and expand my skillset as an artist, actor and deviser within the craft of community theatre. I find community projects so incredibly inspiring, and being involved in one is something that I think will undoubtedly be rewarding as well as so special for the people that is engages with. 

Augusto Boal is a practitioner that from the brief I understand that I will be working from and inspired from a lot when studying and exploring community theatre, since he was influenced a lot of the work that takes place centred in communities as well as being hugely influential on a wider scale through general theatrical practices such as games and exercises. 

Here is a link from his book, 'Games for Actors and Non Actors' which contains a range of games and exercises that can be played with anyone and as a result can affect anyone, so important for working in  the community. It also has Boal's ideas and methodology throughout it. I am so confident that I will be returning to this book continually throughout the unit.

"Theatre is a form of knowledge. It should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it"  - Augusto Boal 

What this quote means to me is the suggestion of how powerful and visceral theatre is, especially in the means of transforming society. This can be through education and building empathy, representing different people's stories and reflecting on injustice in society.  Augusto Boal's vision of theatre is something I can hugely relate to.