Discover Playback Theatre 

We started in 2013 using Playback Theatre with various community groups across Yorkshire. Playback Theatre is a form of improvised performance which allows audience members to tell their story and have in spontaneous created into a piece of theatre by a team of actors. This is a great way of bringing people together to find connections, give validation of experience and offer new perspectives on stories.

Since 2019 we have run a this Playback Training Course in partnership with Converge at York St John University for local adults with lived experience of mental ill heath and performing arts practitioners.

Highlight from the evaluation from our first year's delivery can be found HERE

Feedback since has included:

  • ‘It really teaches you to listen - to properly listen. Because we don't really do that every day. And we should. People could learn a lot from this. I have.'
  • 'I'm going away from here with an overwhelming sense of compassion - of how much importance was put on everyone's story'
  • ‘I remember starting this thinking ‘what the hell have I signed up for’ but now I’m so glad I did. It is the most exciting course I’ve ever joined. It’s really helped with my confidence.’
  • ‘The fact I was able to say in the first workshop  ‘I’m not too sure how I’ll get on, I might not stay’ actually meant that I could stay without any pressure. And I really enjoyed it and then every workshop after that. It’s really encouraged me to express myself.’
  • ‘I never thought I could express myself like this. I only ever used to speak in facts, but playback has made me speak in metaphor and I love it.’
  • ‘Tonight felt like a really big virtual hug.'
  • 'I've never thought about using metaphor before to describe the world or my feelings - but its really useful...I'm going to try and do that more for myself actually.'