The Rainbow of Desires Intensive

Over four days, participants will have the opportunity to take part in and sometimes facilitate the main techniques of Augusto Boal’s work focused on internalised oppressions. Within the safe space of the workshop, stories will be shared and used as the basis for trying out the techniques in this radical and powerful branch of the Theatre of the Oppressed.

Techniques include The Cop in the Head, which seeks to uncover buried obstructions to change, and the Rainbow of Desires, which explores the multiplicity of wills we can experience within a single encounter. This training is appropriate for people with some experience of Forum Theatre. It is mostly practiced by facilitators and mental health professionals but its potential for transformational impact in many settings is enormous. We are excited to bring this work to a new generation of Jokers by equipping them to facilitate it with confidence and care.

When: 9th - 12th February, 2023

Who: This workshop will be led by STOP Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator Adrian Jackson, one of comparatively few facilitators in the world experienced in this work. He translated the book of the same title, to which he wrote an introduction as well as drafting elements of the text based on observation of Boal in his practice. Whilst he was Artistic Director of Cardboard Citizens, he taught this work in London and as far afield as West Bengal.

How Much:

General Rate: £680

Charity / Non-Profit Rate: £580 (enter code: CharityNonProfit)

Freelance Rate: £490 (enter code: Freelance)

Note on pricing: We want this work to be accessible to a wide range of people whilst also paying our practitioners and team a fair rate. If cost is a barrier to your attendance, please get in touch with us via email to talk about your individual circumstances and whether we can help.

Access: We aim to create a safe, inclusive and accessible space for all participants. Comfort and access breaks will be scheduled. Our space will be wheelchair accessible. If you have other access requirements please get in touch by emailing [email protected] to discuss how we can best support you.

Wellbeing: The Rainbow of Desires can be deep and powerful work. It can also be emotional and challenging. We want participants to feel safe and looked after in order to get the most out of the experience, and to feel confident that you can then hold this work for other people.

In line with trauma-informed practice we will provide some suggestions on how to look after ourselves and the group before the course, as well as transparent information to help prepare for the work we will be doing. During the course we will provide a quiet, private space for decompressing for those that might find it helpful to step away when needed, as well as standby support from a qualified therapist if you'd like to talk to anyone confidentially. All of our team are Mental Health First Aiders.

As always in STOP courses, we will work in collaboration with participants to evolve our approach in order to provide you with the best learning environment that supports and stretches in equal measures.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Brady Arts Centre, Hanbury Street, London, United Kingdom