Training Dates

June 10-12, 2022: Intro to Facilitating Forum Theatre (Level 1 Joker Training)
August 26-28, 2022: Forum Theatre for Community Action (Level 2 Joker Training)

To receive updates, sign up for our training mailing list at: http://www.tonyc.nyc/newsletter. If you are interested in bringing our Jokers to facilitate a training at your organization, please fill out the workshop request form on our workshops page.

Intro to Facilitating Forum Theatre

(Level 1 Joker Training)

Dates: June 10-12, 2022. Training will take place from 10am-5pm each day.

Location: We have yet to secure a location but the training will take place somewhere in NYC. Proof of full vaccination will be required to attend this training. We are opening up applications now so that folks can start to make travel plans.

Facilitators: Spark LeoNimm & Liz Morgan

Description:

This training is for community organizers, artists and engaged community members who plan to apply Forum Theatre to engage groups in action towards social change. Participants will experience TONYC's process of creating forum troupes in partnership with local groups, and of engaging spect-actors in Forum and Legislative Theatre. This process is being adapted to support social distancing and other public health considerations.

The three day workshop journeys through the process of building and performing a Forum Theatre play from start to finish. This includes playing games from the arsenal of Theatre of the Oppressed; telling and choosing stories of oppression; using Aesthetics of the Oppressed to explore the story and the issues; and applying rehearsal exercises. We will examine the theory and politics of the work while staying firmly rooted in practice. Participants may have the opportunity to practice jokering a Forum play and teaching back the games to the group. We will take time to address a variety of questions that arise when facilitating this work. Participants will receive a packet of notes from the training that includes games, exercises, and an outline for jokering a forum performance.

Please note - because this training is a collaborative process with other members of the workshop, we request that participants attend for the full training time.

For any questions about this training, please contact Liz Morgan at [email protected] To receive updates about future trainings, sign up for our mailing list at: http://www.tonyc.nyc/newsletter

Application: APPLY HERE Applications received by May 23rd will receive a response by May 31st, and will need to confirm their spot by June 3rd and send a non-refundable $50 deposit.

If a group or organization is planning to apply for a group of participants, please submit individual applications, and include your affiliation in the “About Me” section. You are welcome to email Liz Morgan at [email protected] with questions about applications and payment.

Rates:

This training is priced on a sliding scale. You can apply to pay based on your financial means, the value you wish to receive, or your desire to support.

Standard Rate: $450.00
Half-Price Scholarship rate: $200.00 (limited availability)
Supportive rate: $600.00 (for those who have the personal privilege or institutional backing to subsidize our wider community learning)
Payment information: A non-refundable $50 deposit is required to reserve your spot. The balance of your workshop fee is due June 6th. Training fees paid to TONYC are non-refundable after June 6th and may not be credited to a future training. Exceptions will only be considered at TONYC's discretion.
Advance payment of workshop fees supports TONYC in opening spots to people on the waiting list. If your access to funds means you need a payment plan or adjusted payment schedule, please contact Liz Morgan at [email protected].

Forum Theatre for Community Action

(Level 2 Joker Training)

Dates: August 26-28, 2022

*Note: We strongly prefer that participants attend the entirety of the training. Please note each day’s schedule and check your travel plans. Contact Sulu at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Location: TBD

Facilitators: Sulu LeoNimm, Adama Diallo

Description: This workshop provides the opportunity for facilitators to reflect on their facilitation in community with Theatre of the Oppressed practitioners, and engage a rigorous exploration of how to incorporate anti-oppression methodology inside of the work of Theatre of the Oppressed. Participants will lead Forum Theatre games and exercises, share roadblocks they've experienced, and receive feedback from the TONYC jokers and fellow workshop participants. This workshop is best suited for individuals with prior facilitation experience.

Participants will:

Evaluate your practice based on three essential elements of jokering: accuracy, style and ethics. Discuss the adjustments necessary to meet the needs of different communities and to support health & safety.
Practice facilitating games, learn from the feedback of other participants participants and have the opportunity to give and receive constructive feedback.
Practice jokering a forum scene, and receive constructive feedback.
Review and deepen knowledge of the theory and politics that are the foundation of TO.
Ask questions. Access resources. Build networks.

Rates will be on a sliding scale between $200-600 dollars.

A link to apply, details about payment & deadlines will be available once we have secured a location that meets the needs of these uniquely challenging times. Thank you for your patience.

Below are some of the online trainings we offered in 2021.

ONLINE GAMES MINI-JAM

Much of Boal’s work involved taking theatre games that he already knew and using them as a social metaphor to open up a particular kind of dialogue. COVID-19 forced TONYC Jokers into similar territory: We've learned to adapt the games with which we were familiar as well as learn new Zoom icebreakers and turn them into activities for consciousness-raising. We invite you to a 2-hour experience where you’ll demo some of our favorite new online "de-mechanization" games followed by some training on how to make your own Theatre of the Oppressed games. Bring questions and exercises you'd like to try out. Best suited for individuals with some experience facilitating theatre exercises.

CHANNELING THE NEWS

Over the past several years, we’ve been introduced to terms like “fake news” and “alternative facts.” For this reason, TONYC’s Joker team has recently taken a deeper dive into Newspaper Theatre, Boal’s series of techniques for transforming non-dramatic texts (like newspaper articles) into a theatrical performance. Join us for a two-hour workshop where we’ll explore how to gamify different texts in rehearsal and channel the news & media --combined with our lived experience -- into art for social change. No experience necessary.

RAINBOW OF DESIRE/COPS IN THE HEAD RETREAT

Rainbow of Desire & Cops in the Head are a related series of theater exercises from Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. These techniques facilitate the examination of internalized oppressive mental models in our communities by externalizing them as forces of oppression, or "cops." In this work, we theatrically brainstorm ways to fight these cops and ultimately gain more clarity about our will and desires. Spend two back-to-back sessions with TONYC Jokers to develop scenes based on personal experiences or challenges, and investigate the social forces within our society that block effective communication and community development.

BRIDGING THE GAP: LEGISLATIVE THEATRE RETREAT

Experience the core structure and dramaturgy of Forum Theatre with an interactive demo and launch into discovering what additional tools and analyses are needed to turn a play about real-life situations into an opportunity for policy-generating. Whether you’re seeking to abolish oppressive legislation or are curious about changing unofficial rules or practices that impact your community, legislative theatre is a powerful way to approach participatory democracy. Participants will walk away understanding “WatchActVote” the basic steps of Legislative Theatre, and tips for how to use these techniques in their own work.