The structure from the perspective of

the Joker

Introduction from the Joker

(very short, just to prepare the public, doesn’t provide many details The forum theatre play is performed/the image-from image theatre is shown (first time)

• The Problem (discussion with the public about the problem they observed in the play, the connection with their reality - they can provide more examples, decision with the public on only one problem (the main one) – if the public is divided);
• The Characters (zooming in on the story depicted to better understand who the characters from the play are, what their role is, what is happening with them in the story, whether they can do something differently, the connection with the reality of the public-the public can provide more examples);
• Change making Process (motivating the public to make changes, explaining the process and the rules, warming-up the public); The play is performed the second time
• Management of Interventions (each intervention is discussed with the public before moving to a new one, for each one of them the change made is analysed as well as its realism in the context, the public makes a decision whether to keep a change or not - the process continues until the oppression is reduced to a satisfying level for the public and the oppressed makes a different decision);
• Summary  (alone or with the public the Joker makes the summary of the discussions-what problem they tackled, that is coming from their reality, how they approached the problem, what solutions they proposed for it);

Transfer  (the public reflects on how and what they can take further to their realities from these discussion which were focused on a problem relevant to them and possible solutions)

• Conclusion  (based on their transfer comments and the overall theme)

Closure  (the event is closed and the public invited for next activities – if there are)

The order of these steps is very important – each of these steps can be perceived as a foundation for the next one and so forth. If a Joker jumps any of them, or doesn’t cover them adequately, the rest of the process will be affected. Why is that? Let’s take them one by one.

• If the introduction is too long and the Joker explains all the rules and what will happen in detail it is possible that the public will be confused because they are given unnecessary information at a time when it doesn’t make much sense without seeing the play. This is a difficult start that can (and did in our experience) influence the mood and overall atmosphere for the rest of the process.
• Based on how the play is constructed the public can observe multiple (main) problems and if a Joker doesn’t clarify/make a decision with the public about the main problem and she/he pushes for the next step the public will have a high level of confusion for the rest of the process. For some of them the problem they are trying to find solutions for is one, for others it’s another one and this will be reflected on how they vote, what arguments they give and what ideas they propose. It will make the task of having a common goal with the public difficult for the Joker. At the same time if the Joker doesn’t make the reality connection with the public they will be less engaged personally in the process.
• If the Joker jumps over the characters discussion and move directly to the changes it is very likely to see that the public interprets some of the characters differently and the same thing can happen when the problem is not clarified. Also if the public doesn’t have the chance to reflect specifically on the story and its main actors it will be harder for them to identify solutions and to come on the stage. This step also helps the Joker to induce the idea of change in the public’s mind by asking them if they think any of them could act differently.
•  4. Explaining the process and the rules is very important and in case it is rushed or not explained with enough details it will confuse the public – either they will not know how to come on the stage, who to change, how long they can stay there, etc. and it will make it harder for the Joker later on to motivate them to come on the stage. At this stage it is important to do a warm-up for the public; this contributes to better preparing them to come on the stage and it shouldn’t be omitted.
•  5. If in the change making process the Joker doesn’t discuss one by one , but rather allows all the public members to come and make changes, doesn’t make decisions immediately after they see examples of change, it creates chaos and confusion with the public, who will not know in which direction they are heading and how they are heading there.
•  6. The summary after a long and deep discussion (as discussions often are in this field) will help the public to have synthetized the experience and make it easier mentally to think about the transfer – removing this step will consequently make it harder to think about transfer.
• Transfer is crucial for the public to mentally connect all these discussion outcomes with their reality even if also during the discussion this happened often – this is the moment when before they go back to their reality they actually think and reflect on what they can use and where they want to do that. The question needs to be addressed to think about it even if we acknowledge that some public members will probably make the connection anyway but we want to maximize the impact and increase the numbers. Providing a space to reflect on the transfer will always have better impact than when we assume and hope each public member will do this process on their own after the play.

The Joker’s main tool – Questions

Each of the steps in the structure introduced previously is implemented with the help of questions. Asking questions, the right questions, is a skill and it is developed in time and with practice. It is important for a Joker who wants to develop this skill to know what characteristics these questions (in this context) should have:

• They are open (most of them) which means a respondent cannot reply by YES or NO but with an open answer;
• The questions are neutral (they are not suggestive nor do they include the opinion of the Joker);
• The questions are not judging or evaluating (examples of wrong questions: Isn’t it a wonderful intervention? Do you think it is a good idea? etc.)

Inclusive  (they aim to include and motivate as many people from the public as possible)

Please find below a set of suggested texts and questions that can be used be any Joker in their work. It is advisable for a Joker to develop their own style of approaching the task and the questioning. Below you will see an example that can be used exactly in this form or as inspiration, which for beginners in the field can be helpful. The number of questions will depend largely on the diversity of the public opinions and to some extent on the time available for the whole process. The Joker needs to have the time perspective of the event and to structure it in such a way so as to make sure all the steps are covered before the closure of the event. Many of the questions here are exemplified in more general format but when used in a Forum Theatre event could be more specific (for example: not to mention the word “problem” anymore, but to mention specifically the problem the public identified in the play; or when you refer to the “wrong decision” you will mention it not name it “decision”)