Crooked House Theatre Company

Crooked House works mainly in the area of theatre. However, we are also found in the shadowy margins, crossing over into education, youth work and community development. Our work extends from theatre productions with theatre artists in theatres, through youth work that uses theatre methods in community settings, all the way to training/educational programmes in universities.

Over the past 25 years we have developed Theatre of the Oppressed techniques (http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/en/index.php?useFlash=1) for an Irish context, delivering training and projects in Ireland and abroad. We develop and facilitate participatory theatre (and applied theatre) programmes for NGOs, agencies, and community/youth organisations nationally. Many of these programmes are part of positive mental health initiatives, and although they are not dramatherapy programmes, they aim to develop life-enhancing skills mainly with young people. In this sense they are sometimes considered to be "suicide prevention" measures. For more on this visit our blog at http://www.trapped-radical.blogspot.com/

We are regularly commissioned to develop theatre programmes to work specifically with non-actors. These usually have a justice, equality or human rights dimension.

A typical project would consist of 15 two-hour workshops with a group leading to a public performance created by the group with our help. The theme of the performance emerges from the group during the workshops: it is often a means used by a group to communicate their reflections/experiences/situations to a wider audience (and particularly to an audience of people who are implicated in the theme).

For example, we worked with community groups in Dublin who were effected by suicide. The group developed a piece of theatre which showed how, in their experience, the structure of educational, social and health systems mitigated against effective help reaching their friends and families. This project was called 'Life Force' and was an initiaitive of Blue Drum.

Another project was with Irish Traveller women over a period of two months to create a drama which showed how crucial misunderstandings can arise when Traveller women interact with statutory services and organisations. The performance was shown to regional state agencies and followed by a facilitated forum expanding on the issue.

Other outreach and commissioned work can involve organising week-long theatre projects and festivals with young people. Or we are asked to work with agencies (such as Trocaire) on their Human Rights Summer School.

Smaller projects can be delivering drama and film workshops to youth clubs, schools or community groups.