Theatre in Health Workshops
What is Theatre in Health?
Theatre in Health is adapted from Arts in Health (‘Arts in Health is currently a step-down service from the Community Mental Health Hubs, offering a programme of regular creative activities to support adults with lived experiences of (physical) and mental health difficulties’ – CNWL Arts in Health). The objective is to improve quality of life, reduce stress, and support recovery from illness or disability. Theatre in Health is open to all in the community and its goal is to maintain and enrich overall mental and physical wellbeing as well as the aforementioned objectives.
What is a Theatre in Health Community Masterclass?
It is a series of inclusive workshops over the course of a season, which are open to members of Incognito Theatre and non-members, whereby participants can creatively explore and talk about themes from the chosen play with a trained practitioner and facilitator in a confidential and non-judgmental space. It is offered to provide participants with an opportunity to actively take part in rehearsal techniques, character exploration, drama exercises and self-reflection. Additional aims of the masterclasses are to create a safe community hub that promotes a sense of belonging, improves mental/emotional wellbeing and enriches creativity.
How does a Community Masterclass help?
- It provides a compassionate and non-judgmental space to explore plays, some produced at Incognito Theatre
- It offers a creative space to explore themes and characters from the script of the play and through improvisation and off text exploration
- It aims to help, build and develop self confidence amongst participants
- It guides participants to creatively reflect on the challenges they face: life difficulties, mental health struggles, transitional periods, loss, low self-esteem, repeating patterns, through the safe container of a play text
- It offers opportunities to develop problem solving skills and beneficial coping strategies when faced with life’s challenges through the eyes of the characters
- It aims to facilitate a reflective space to become the author and director of our own life narrative and to feel empowered to ‘change the script.’
- It creates a space to explore and transmute obstacles (limiting belief systems) along our life path that no longer serve us, which block us from pursuing our quest for a more joyous, abundant and meaningful life.
NEXT WORKSHOP – Friday 15th May 2026 ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’
This workshop will explore the themes of cultural identity (who we are) and the transgenerational context that has shaped our understanding of who ‘we think we are’ as a way of helping to heal intergenerational cultural wounds. The workshop will explore these themes through characters and scenes from the play The Field By John B. Keane, games and off text improvisations.
When: Friday 15th May 2026
Time: 11am-3pm
Location: Incognito Theatre, Friern Barnet, N11 3HB
Cost: £30
Transition Through Theatre
What is transition through theatre?
These one-day workshops aim to assist students with the transition from primary to secondary school. Moving to secondary is an essential experience that cultivates growth, development and internal strength. These resilient factors can also be linked with loss, pain and separation. The workshop aims to support students in reflecting on this new developmental stage in their education, through the aesthetic distance of a classical text, appropriate for this age group. It is hoped that through the creative process they will identify their existing strengths and resilience as self-help tools to navigate them through their next adventure. It aims
- to help students process this transition
- to use a drama text to ‘rehearse’ children for the impending ending of primary school
- to guide students to creatively reflect on the potential challenges and benefits of this change
- to reflect on their achievements and resilience that they will take with them when they leave
- to identify coping strategies
- to develop problem solving skills
Student feedback ‘The role play helped me overcome my shyness about going to secondary school.’ Teacher feedback ‘The children were completely engaged and the diverse activities through Drama enabled the children to safely express their concerns about going to secondary school.’
Length of Programme: One-day workshop
