Abstract:
Everyday Theatre is a government-department funded applied theatre program focusing on family violence, child abuse and neglect. Since 2004, it has been delivered to over 15,000 children aged 10 to 12 years across New Zealand. The paper describes the program’s pretext and outlines how the workshops are conducted. Students’, teachers’ and principals’ responses are included to give a rich description of the program. Using evaluation materials gathered through independent research in late 2006, along with the facilitators’ narratives, this paper illustrates how applied theatre can provide a forum in which young people can create their own understandings of these sensitive issues.
