Designing and delivering participatory theatre at a distance

Recommendations for theatre artists and educators

The inaugural study of our NEA Caregiving Research lab allowed us to successfully develop a "distance theatre" program for families of children with medically complex needs during the height of the COVID pandemic.  The recommendations below draw on lessons learned from our experiences, and are intended as considerations for planning and carrying out similar projects where the creative and exploratory aspects of participatory theatre are deemed beneficial, but must be delivered, if not also designed, at a distance.

For example, you may be working with a creative team or participant group whose physical distance from each other is difficult to bridge. Health concerns might make commingling a continued concern for either or both groups.  Simple scheduling conflicts might make a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous elements more attractive than the typical  time-based approach of traditional theatre-making.  

Our own particular solution was to design, develop and deliver creativity kits called "Wonder Boxes" using picture books as prompts, and sensory-stimulating activities based on the various arts of the theatre tied to each story.  The group(s) you work with may resonate with other kinds of prompts and activities limited only by the imagination of your team.   Use the navigation links at the left to learn about how you and your team can build opportunities for people to play dramatically together even if you're not there with them to guide them -- or they can't be together themselves. (For more details on our study,  visit "Projects” at the left.)