Facilitation & Devising With Diverse Communities
Who could benefit from this course?
Theatre makers and facilitators keen to hold spaces and/or create shows involving non-professional actors of various ages and backgrounds, including marginalised communities.
How does it work?
We will explore a range of games and tools that will help you meet your group, discover its diverse voices and strengths, build trust, and create connection - using the group's diversity as a true asset.
We will take a first look into specific questions related to participatory theatre and creating work based on participants’ life stories such as work ethos, trauma, and safest space.
This workshop is an introduction to the facilitation approach, shaped by your needs, questions, and ideas. We will practice essential facilitation skills like listening, observing and giving the floor back to the group. it's an opportunity to develop key skills in applied theatre: flexibility, adaptability and resilience while fostering empowerment and co-creation.
What do you gain?
- You will learn performative games accessible to all ages, abilities, and languages that will help you teach acting skills quickly and generate devising material.
- You will explore body-based games & exercises that help release stress, anxiety, and stored tension, while opening space for imagination and creative expression.
- You will have the opportunity to share questions and explore your practice / project with the insight of peer practitioners and Sophie Besse, Artistic Director of PSYCHEdelight Theatre Company of Sanctuary.
Dates, Times & Cost
Saturday & Sunday, 24 & 25 January 2026
11:00am - 5:00pm
in Studio 1 at TheCockpit
£125 Early bird price (book by 12 January at 12:00pm)
£140 regular price
Check out the other workshops in our Theatre Maker programme, and save 10% when you book 2 or more.
SOPHIE BESSE BERTRAND
Sophie is the Artistic Director of PSYCHEdelight Theatre Company of Sanctuary. She is trained in both drama and therapy and developed an expertise in physical theatre, ensemble work and clowning. She continues to enrich her practice through regular workshops with various practioners such as John Wright, Lucy Hopkins, John Wright, Lecoq, Gaulier, Ben Keaton, Jos Houben, Angela di Castro, Complicite, Told By an Idiot, and others. Sophie specialises in participatory theatre directing, using clowning and visual poetry and devising. She creates shows rooted in real-life stories, collaborating with the people at the heart of these experiences, shining a light on their humanity, talent ans sense of humour to face and share their life journeys. She is a diversity advocate and expert at holding a space with different ages, languages, and abilities in the room. She worked with young offenders and women in prison for 7 years and is the founder of PSYCHEdelight's Together Workshops welcoming local people and refugee communities. Most recent credits as a theatre director: “Borderline, the satire of the Calais Jungle,” “Welcome To The UK,” “Mohand & Peter,” and “Hang Out To Dry”.
Testimonials (after a week retreat around facilitation)
“A truly healing experience for those of us in messy, gruelling, demanding professions". Laura. Therapist & facilitator.
"Thank you for taking me out of my head, back into my body and creative soul" Jenny. Applied theatre practitioner
“Games are so much more than games. I hope you bring togetherness to many more places in need.” Amar, Syrian workshop participant. Mardin - Turkey.