Last year Collab Company made its way to the IPCD (hosted by Heriot-Watt Dubai) with a workshop designed to collaborate with psychologists and psychology practitioners within the wider MENA context. This was also an opportunity to engage in some qualitative research around a pastoral program that Lauren Noble, Dr Kirin Hilliar and Dr Lamya Tawfik had started developing together a few months prior. The theme of our theatre workshop was Exploring the impact of collaborative theatre in the creation of a culture of resilience. A dynamic topic, to be sure, made even more dynamic by the merging of three skilled experts who are deeply passionate about mental health, psychology, theatre, education and pastoral care.

Bullying is a pervasive concern across educational institutions, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Educational initiatives and interventions have had mixed results – student engagement is often superficial, pastoral systems already in place are often overwhelmed or underequipped, and different age groups may not view initiatives or interventions as impactful or relevant which leads to a lack of realistic solution-focused structures being implemented. Collaborative theatre, and other performing arts-based initiatives, are increasingly utilized, as these techniques allow students to be directly and actively involved in both devising and delivering the educational content. In our interactive workshop, Lauren, Kirin and Lamya discuss the theory of collaborative theatre as an educational platform, and allow participants to take on the role of students in devising a new performance piece. Participants will also hear from students who have been involved in such theatrical pieces at their own school, and hear their reflections on its impact on them individually, as well as the school community collectively.

Our next phase in the Anti-Bullying Roadshow is the development phase, taking what we have learned since 2018 and applying it to our resource development and theatre-making practice. Very soon we will be taking bookings from schools, universities, colleges and other workplaces  who wish to make a difference in their in-house anti-bullying policies and procedures. With our team there to support your team, every step of the way, we hope to effect lasting change in the way we approach bullying and anti-bullying initiatives in any environment.