One of the things I've asked our Creative Associates Catherine and Mathilde to look at is how we create 'theatre of debate'. In recent years there has been a fascinating movement in theatre around debate, discussion and exchange of knowledge. Well known examples include Open Space workshops, particularly the '
Devoted and Disgruntled' sessions that Improbable Theatre have run. In Berlin, one of the most fascinating companies is the
Mobile Academy, which runs the 'Blackmarket of Useful and Non-Useful Knowledge' where, rather than watching a show, each audience member books a series of 15 minute one-to-one sessions with experts in every imaginable subject (and remember we are all experts in something, so this is not an academic project). In New York,
Foundry Theatre has been combining some of the best experimental theatre in the world with a series of political and social 'town hall' meetings for many years - building a different kind of theatre community. I'd be really interested to hear people's ideas and experiences around theatre and debate.