Overview

Mixed Company Theatre has been inspiring students to create social change for over 20 years through Forum Theatre. An UNESCO-recognized educational tool, Forum Theatre is a participatory style of theatre known for its effectiveness in helping students tackle issues that directly affect them. Students have the opportunity in a Forum Theatre presentation to “rehearse for reality” and try out their own solutions for positive change.

Our school productions and workshops have examined difficult social issues such as mental health stigma and support, healthy relationships and consent, and inclusion and equity.

In true Theatre of the Oppressed fashion, we constantly consult with educators and the Ontario curriculum in developing our shows, which means that you can rest easy knowing that your Mixed Company program has been thoughtfully tailored to the needs and developmental level of your learners.

A part of the current drama curriculum for Ontario schools, Forum Theatre productions have often been used as an educational tool to support requirements in other areas, including Language Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Social and Family Studies.

Our School Programming

This year we have two different program formats that we offer for schools – learn more about these options below!

Lightning Forum Theatre Presentations (LFTs)

A group of people engaged in a theatre performance.

Our scenario based Lighting Forum Theatre Presentations give you the opportunity to choose from a range of issues while maintaining the engaging, participatory style of a Forum Theatre show. 

In these presentations, a story representing an issue is performed (the first act) by actors. Students are then invited onto the stage by a trained facilitator to enact “an intervention” where they can either replace a character or suggest a change to the story for the better. A trained Forum Theatre facilitator (the Joker) prepares and encourages participants to replace the actors on the stage and to change the story in a constructive way. 

Students get most of the presentation time to replace characters and act out their own solutions – it is a high-impact and highly engaging platform for dialogue and discussion in a very safe and collaborative environment. 

75-90 mins – Max 350 students – Grades 7-12

We have a special presentation on bullying available for schools in the Greater Toronto Area for a discounted price during Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week – Nov 18-22, 2024!

In this presentation option, students will watch a few scenarios depicting a bullying situation at school. Our facilitator will then engage students in dialogue on how to improve the situation, and give them the opportunity to replace characters in the scene to try their ideas to resolve the conflicts and improve the situation.

Themes:

  • Conflict resolution
  • Bullying intervention strategies
  • Fostering positive relationships
  • Mental health impacts of bullying
  • How to be an active bystander
  • And more!

75-90 mins – Max 350 students – Grades 5+

We offer presentations that are completely customized to the unique interests of your school in relation to student learning around social justice, equity, and mental health!

We will engage in discussions with you about the topics and scenarios you want to focus on, and design a Forum Theatre presentation tailored to those objectives.

Sample Topics:

  • Consent
  • Gang violence
  • Anti-racism
  • Mental health
  • Harassment
  • Substance misuse
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Homophobia and Transphobia
  • And much more!
A group of people engaged in a workshop.

Classroom Forum Theatre Workshops

Our classroom workshops based in Forum Theatre methodology give students the opportunity to explore complex social issues in a safe, facilitated environment that encourages creative problem-solving. Accordingly, our workshops are customizable to the issues that are most relevant to your classroom and are compatible with a wide variety of social justice, equity, civics, and arts-related curriculum content.

In these workshops, students experience a blend of fun group games, critical discussion, and participatory theatre exercises in order to unpack, discuss, and find actionable solutions to the chosen topic.

Up to 75 min – 1 class – Grades 4+

In these workshops, you choose the social justice, equity and/or mental health topic(s) you would like to focus on and we will design a workshop experience towards those objectives.

These workshops use theatre and participatory exercises to explore social justice challenges and catalyze student-generated ideas for positive change.

Themes:

  • Consent
  • Gang violence
  • Anti-racism
  • Mental health
  • Harassment
  • Substance misuse
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Homophobia and Transphobia
  • And much more!

Up to 75 min – 1 class – Grades 4+

In these workshops, our facilitators engage your students in an exploration of key games and exercises in the Theatre of the Oppressed and Forum Theatre methodologies.

The discussions and facilitation are tailored to give students a better understanding of the principles and methods used when creating theatre for social change.

For these workshops, write to our team to talk about your objectives, and any learning your students will have on these topics prior to the session. Our facilitators will design a workshop experience that is fun, engaging, and complements Ontario curriculum expectations.

For full details on these options, including pricing information for the 2024-25 school year, click the button below to access our programming brochure!

School Programming Brochure 2024-25

Learning Outcomes

  1. Develop tools for navigating sensitive social issues of equity. 
  2. Learn to view problems from multiple perspectives and increase empathy for others. 
  3. Explore different forms of communication and creative problem-solving. 
  4. Generate passion for the arts, civic engagement, social justice and equity. 

For more information on how our programming connects to the Ontario Curriculum and how to integrate our programming in your lessons, check out our Teacher Resources page.

Booking Information

To inquire about booking a program, and for pricing details, email our communications team:

Send Booking Inquiry