Using sound, movement, text, music and fabric, Vancouver Playback Theatre reenacts and honours an individual’s personal story while simultaneously illuminating underlying universal themes that create our common humanity. At a deep level, one has the experience of, “we are in this together”, and “we share this story together”, building empathy and understanding. When people share their personal stories in this fashion, a profound shift occurs in their willingness to focus on commonalities rather than judgment of others, facilitating the building of trust and connection among a wide diversity of people. In this manner, Playback Theatre promotes understanding and compassion, and has been used in many challenging contexts, including bullying in schools, cross-cultural disputes, and political and religious conflicts around the world.
Vancouver Playback Theatre (VPT) is composed of multi-talented professionals with skills and experience in many areas, including group facilitation, adult education, training, counselling, coaching, organizational development, leadership, acting, singing, and musical composition.
VPT’s wide range of clients includes Vancouver Community College, Amnesty International, Continuing Legal Education of British Columbia, Disability Resource Network of BC, Genome BC, International Society for Performance Instruction, Thompson Rivers University, Richmond Multicultural Community Services, Peace It Together, Greater Vancouver Mental Health, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, Rare Disease Foundation, World Peace Forum, Students Wanting to Encourage Education and Prevention on Drugs and Alcohol, Unity of Vancouver, and the B.C. Psychologists Association.
VPT offers a wide variety of services, including public and conference performances, workplace conflict resolution workshops, peace-building in schools, community engagement projects, and Playback skills training, in person (when possible) and virtually (via ZOOM).
Playback Theatre was created in New York in 1975, with the intention of returning theatre to its storytelling and community-building roots. Playback Theatre directly engages participants in sharing life experiences and ideas related to themes of importance to them individually, and collectively as groups, organizations, and communities.
Using movement, text, music and fabric, participants’ life experiences are “played back” in moving, imaginative, often humorous, and compelling ways. Individual stories are honoured and universal themes are illuminated, celebrating both our diversity and our common humanity. At a deep level, participants experience a personal story as a shared story, profoundly shifting their willingness to focus on commonalities rather than judgment of others.
Overall, the power of Playback Theatre is five-fold:
1. It has the ability to build trusting relationships by creating safe and respectful spaces where life experiences are shared, fostering connection through commonalities, and respect for differences through deepened understanding, cultural sensitivity, and empathy. This foundation of trust can then be leveraged into commitment to action;
2. It builds capacity by providing opportunities for participants to learn from each other and problem-solve through sharing life experiences, knowledge, wisdom and ideas;
3. It impacts and motivates people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds who might not respond to other more conventional information sharing formats – e.g. formal workshops, websites, written notices – because of learning styles and/or language barriers;
4. It is both entertaining and educational, engaging participants’ hearts and minds. This opens a door for even the most hesitant or cynical to become engaged, learn more, and take action;
5. It can influence systemic change through the cumulative impact of individual and group actions.
Since its inception in 1975, Playback Theatre has grown to more than 150 troupes in over 30 countries around the world, encompassing many different languages and cultures. It has been used in many challenging contexts, including bullying in schools, cross-cultural disputes, and politic and religious conflicts.
