Eight people in a Zoom meeting. They are all making different shapes with their bodies by moving their arms, head, neck, and hands.

Our Workshops

A UNESCO-recognized educational tool for implementing social change, FORUM THEATRE is a community-focused, facilitated style of theatre designed to address social issues and inspire action for change. Forum Theatre gives communities the agency to develop their own grassroots solutions and the ability to envision the positive outcomes of creating social change.

The techniques of Forum Theatre creation are transferable to a wide range of community engagement and educational initiatives. Workshop participants will receive the skills to become better facilitators, artists, community leaders, and more socially-aware educators.

We are so glad to be receiving multiple requests for workshops throughout the year. And in response, we are now holding workshops every 3-4 months! Please check back on this page (or subscribe to our newsletter using the link at the bottom of the page) to be the first in the know about upcoming workshop offerings as they are announced.

Upcoming Workshops

We don’t currently have any workshop dates scheduled – check back here or follow us on our social media channels to be informed of our upcoming dates when they are announced!

Workshop Descriptions

Click on the drop down menus for the descriptions of our most recent workshops!

This four-part workshop, led by award winning Forum Theatre artist Simon Malbogat and Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator Swetha Ranganathan, will teach participants how to use theatre games and exercises to create Forum Theatre with and for various community groups. 

Participants will: 

  • Learn about the history and working principles of Forum Theatre 
  • Participate in the step-by-step process of creating a Forum Theatre scene virtually with community members 
  • Learn key games and exercises (virtual formats) which facilitate community sharing, conflict analysis, and creation 
  • Have an overview of performance facilitation (joking) Receive a guide/manual for games and exercises (with virtual format alternatives) 

While the objectives and learning are directed towards virtual community engagement; key principles and techniques can also be applied to in-person delivery. 

Prerequisites: None! 

The “Joker” is the facilitator responsible for the Forum Theatre process. The person in this role leads participants as the play evolves, becoming the liaison between community “spect–actors” and the characters on stage. 

This four-evening workshop, led by award winning Forum Theatre artist Simon Malbogat and Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator Swetha Ranganathan will delve further into this role of the Joker in Forum Theatre presentations, teaching participants how to: 

  • Develop a Forum Theatre scenario from a universal story of oppression 
  • Guide audiences in their transformation from spectator to “spect-actors”  
  • Create a safe space for both performers and audiences while also expecting vulnerability 
  • Ask questions to elicit audience intervention  

While the objectives and learning are directed towards virtual community engagement; key principles and techniques can also be applied to in-person delivery. 

Prerequisites:  Due to the content being taught in the workshop, participants are required to have a working knowledge of Forum Theatre creation (from taking one of our introductory workshops, or from your own experience creating Forum Theatre with communities)  

Payment Details

Payment Methods

  • Please make all cheques payable to “Mixed Company Theatre.” Cheques can be mailed to 540 Dawes Road, Apt 407, East York ON M4B2E9.
  • For payments through Interac e-transfer, and to ask any questions about fees, please email us at info@mixedcompanytheatre.com.
  • Cash payments are not permitted.
  • Payment must be made on or before the start date of your workshop in order to receive the Zoom link.

“Pay What You Can”

  • In the spirit of removing financial barriers to access, Mixed Company Theatre is able to offer a limited number of “Pay What Your Can” payment options to those who require financial assistance in order to attend our workshops. Please indicate your need for this option through the registration form for the workshop(s) you wish to attend.

What Participants Are Saying About Our Workshops

“This workshop was a great introduction to Forum Theatre for me. Engaging and provoking, this work is great for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of power and power dynamics. The workshop has equipped me with all the necessary skills and knowledge to apply Forum Theatre in my community.”
– Ekaterina Reymarova, Creative Arts Therapy Facilitator, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
“The workshop is fun and interactive; I love that I got to attend it from across the globe in Singapore! Even though I had considerably less experience than some of the others, I did not feel out of place and felt that we were all learning together.”
“There is nothing like being in the hot seat, and having the visceral experience of facilitating/joking. It’s not something that you can learn overnight, but with a foundational layer and lots of feedback from people with experience, you’re more likely to stay in the game when it’s show time!”

Instructor Bios

Simon Malbogat

Simon Malbogat is an award-winning theatre director, performer, and teacher with over 25 years of experience in Forum Theatre facilitation. Simon studied with the greatest contemporary popular theatre practitioners (Augusto Boal, Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Yoshi Oida) and has directed and acted in over 50 new Canadian works. Throughout his career, Simon has been focused on bringing theatre to youth, resulting in over 40 Forum Theatre plays for young people and has worked with many community organizations such as the Community Initiative Project, Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club, the East End Community Health Centre, the Sears Drama Festival for Youth, the Social Planning Council of Peel and the Toronto West End Community. He has also taught at The University of Toronto, York University, Humber College, Queen’s and Brock University.

Luciano Iogna

MCT Associate Artist Luciano Iogna has worked in theatre for over forty years across Canada. He has worked internationally on four continents in a dozen different languages, with more than two hundred theatres, communities, and educational institutions as an actor, writer, director and instructor. Luc has worked extensively using Forum Theatre and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques on issues such as AIDS to workplace safety and violence, and he has worked with diverse cultural communities, trade unions, women’s organizations, and professional associations.

As playwright, Luciano has scripted more than 120 Forum Theatre produced plays. Two of his Forum Theatre plays produced by Mixed Company Theatre (SHOWDOWN and HOW CAN YOU TELL?) were nominated for Dora Awards.

Peter Jarvis

Peter Jarvis has been an entertainer & performance artist since 1979. Facilitating artistic mime, dance, clown, mask and music have allowed Peter to work extensively in film, theatre and television on such shows as Sesame St and Cirque du Soleil. Peter Jarvis continues to enjoy performing internationally in the USA, England, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Poland, and Turkey. The Masks of Manipulation shown in the above photo are but one example of Peter’s talent as a professional designer and creator of masks.