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Forum Theatre
& Drama-based Learning
workshops

What is Forum Theatre?

Forum theatre is a game-changer in management training

So, what’s forum theatre (sometimes called drama-based learning) all about?

Imagine a live, interactive performance where your team gets to be part of the action – without the anxiety or awkwardness of role-playing themselves.

Here’s how it works: Our professional actors act out realistic workplace scenarios that will be very familiar to your managers.

Then your team gets to pause the action, question the characters, and even redirect the scene to try out different approaches. It’s like hitting pause and rewind on real-life situations, but without the real-life consequences.

Why choose this approach?

  1. It’s fully immersive. No more glazed-over eyes or sneaky phone-checking during training sessions. Your team will be hooked from start to finish.
  2. It’s a safe space to tackle tricky topics. Harassment, discrimination, difficult conversations – you name it. Forum theatre lets you address these head-on without putting anyone on the spot.
  3. It builds practical skills. Your team isn’t just learning theory; they’re seeing strategies in action and even testing them out.
  4. It’s memorable. We all remember experiences way more than PowerPoint slides or e-learning.
  5. It’s flexible. Got a specific issue you’re grappling with? Forum theatre can be tailored to your exact needs.
  6. It promotes empathy. Walking in someone else’s shoes, even virtually, can be eye-opening.
  7. Your team get to understand different perspectives.  Each character has their point of view.
  8. It reminds managers to be non-judgemental.
  9. It sparks discussion. The facilitated discussions after each scenario? Pure gold for insights and team bonding.
  10. Your team will be able to implement their learning immediately.

Forum theatre is engaging, effective, and fun.

MANAGING CONFLICT FORUM THEATRE WORKSHOP

In this half-day workshop our team of professional actors and expert facilitators, will guide you through scenarios that reflect the challenges you experience at work.

During this practical workshop you will explore:

  • Causes of conflict
  • Managing difficult emotions 
  • Listening to different perspectives
  • The importance of impartiality, objectiveness and evidence in decision making
  • Communicating clearly and with sensitivity
  • Situations which require de-escalation skills
  • Resolution approaches.

OH! IT WAS JUST BANTER…

In this half-day workshop our team of professional actors and expert facilitators, will guide you through scenarios that reflect the challenges you experience at work.

During this practical workshop you will explore:

  • Where “banter” ends and harassment begins
  • The hidden costs of inappropriate workplace humour
  • How to foster an inclusive environment without losing the fun
  • Strategies for speaking up when jokes go too far
  • Legal and ethical considerations

How does it work?

 

Bespoke or evergreen options

 

If you opt for a bespoke workshop we start with user research to ensure our scripted scenarios accurately reflect the everyday challenges that your managers are experiencing at work. Or you may prefer to select a workshop made up of a selection of our evergreen scenarios: these include performance and sickness absence conversations, inappropriate behaviours, managing difficult customers or patients etc. 

We have delivered these scenarios to many organisations and thousands of delegates. They are very well received and hit the mark every time. We will tailor the scenarios to reflect your organisation.

Meet the team

We will send you a document to circulate to your workshop attendees which includes some information about the team who will be delivering the workshops, our approach and the very important message: we do not ask our delegates to role-play.

 We know that feeling anxious gets in the way of a good learning experience and we want your delegates to attend without worrying about whether they will be asked to role-play.  

They won’t! Our professional actors are there to do that.

On the day:

We create a safe space in which your managers can experiment with different approaches, discuss issues openly and honestly and have fun. 

 We do not ask our delegates to role-play.  

 Your managers can attend knowing they can get involved without risk. And we believe in injecting some serious fun into the learning process. Delegates will be able to interview the characters, re-direct the scenes and discuss the issues in small facilitated groups.

How does Forum Theatre deliver skills and knowledge development?

Forum Theatre is an approach which supports managers to explore and experiment with how they tackle those difficult behavioural issues within their teams and create a strategy for managing their team members effectively.

Topics include: effective performance management, conflict resolution, managing absence, hybrid working challenges, diversity and inclusion, and a whole host of thorny topics that your managers and leaders need to grapple with in order to motivate, inspire, and lead their teams to success.

Our Track Record

We have 18 years experience delivering forum theatre workshops and conferences for corporate, public and third sector organisations.

Our Forum Theatre approach is designed to be a catalyst for change, creating a safe space for managers to explore, experiment, and challenge conventional thinking.

"It was really important for me that these scenarios felt real and that we moved away from traditional slide decks for this type of training especially given the volume of people dialling in. The feedback has been fantastic and we look forward to working with you again in the future."
Katy Thorpe
Global People Director, Kinly

“I asked for recommendations, and discovered Resound Training & Development.  They are simply the best I’ve ever worked with!  Their modern, outside-the-box approach has made such a difference.”

Beata Szarka A2Dominion