Playback Theatre Leadership is the culmination of the first 4 levels of the Centre’s Curriculum Pathway. Graduation from this class is compulsory for practitioners who want to apply to become an Accredited Trainer in Playback.
The PT Leadership course now includes a ten-week Online Study Segment taught by Jonathan Fox, typically taking place prior to the active intensive. Through online interaction and discussion, students will get to know each other while studying aspects of the work, including history of PT and company life.
Students will gather in person for the two-week intensive taught by Hannah Fox and Michael Cheng, from December 2 to December 14, 2024 at Henry Martyn Institute, India.
This advanced, comprehensive, in-depth course provides a chance for participants from different regions to share their playback theatre experience in an atmosphere of collegiality and commitment. It will emphasize skill building, especially in conducting challenging situations. It will teach how to balance spontaneity, story, atmosphere, and guidance, to achieve effective Playback Theatre workshops and performances.
It will also confront the issues that face Playback leaders, such as company life, performance standards, and community relations. We will share the joys of our playback journeys, and also study what happens when playback goes wrong. The curriculum will include ethics as well as practical examples of PT at work.
The course ends with a graduation ceremony, where students receive a Diploma. Family and friends are invited to the graduation.
To be eligible for the Diploma, students must complete the Online Study Segment and the independent Study Project. There is more information on preparing to attend PT Leadership here.
Online Study
August 19, 2024 (for 10 weeks, end date – last lesson of the last week’s Monday: October 28 2024)
Residential Course
Start: 2pm, Dec 2 2024
Ends: 1pm, Dec 14 2024
USD $3,995.00
Fee includes accommodation and most meals.
Deposit of USD $1,500 is required to confirm your place.
Sharing accommodation is provided. A number of single rooms are available for an additional fee.
Limited Scholarships are available for those in need.
Students are expected to have completed Level 3 of the curriculum (known as Practice, Advanced Skills, or Advanced Practice), as well as possessing least 5 years’ active experience. Playback practitioners with at least 10 years’ active experience, will also be considered, with the recommendations of two senior practitioners (preferably Accredited Trainers).
The depth of the Leadership experience depends on having a diverse and balanced group. Thus, admission includes considerations of demographics and diversity and is at the discretion of the staff.
There is information on our Course Sequence here.
The course will begin at 2pm on Monday December 2, 2024 and end at 1pm on Saturday, December 14, 2024.
The middle Saturday will be a half-day of work.
The middle Sunday will be a rest day.
Teachers:
2-week residential: Hannah Fox and Michael Cheng
Online Study: Jonathan Fox
Hannah is a university professor of applied performance, co-director of the New York School of Playback Theatre and founder of Big Apple Playback Theatre. Hannah has led Playback trainings around the globe for over two decades and has a special interest in using Playback and other applied theatre forms as tools for promoting social justice.
She is the author of Zoomy Zoomy: Improv Games and Exercises for Groups (2010), and has published several articles and chapters on Playback Theatre. Hannah is a certified yoga instructor, a proud mom of a lively seven-year old named Rio, and the daughter of the founders of Playback Theatre.
Michael is an applied drama practitioner and educator from Singapore. He has initiated and facilitated socially-engaged applied arts projects with diverse groups such as children and youth with disabilities, seniors, and at-risk communities. He also teaches applied drama methods as a freelance trainer and adjunct lecturer. As an Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer, Michael has taught internationally at all levels of Playback Theatre. He is a current faculty member of CPT’s Leadership course. Michael also serves as Artistic Director of Tapestry Playback Theatre (Singapore) and is a member of the Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA). Currently, he is also a recipient of the National Arts Council (Singapore)’s Arts Scholarship for his Master’s studies in Arts Pedagogy and Practice.
Jonathan is the founder of Playback Theatre and director emeritus of the Centre for Playback Theatre. He was the artistic and executive director of the original Playback Theatre company from its inception in 1975. He is the author of Beyond Theatre: a playback theatre memoir, Acts of Service: Spontaneity, Commitment, Tradition in the Nonscripted Theatre; the editor of The Essential Moreno: Writings on Spontaneity, Psychodrama and Group Method; and co-editor of Gathering Voices: Essays on Playback Theatre. In 2008 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Kassel in Germany for artistic and scholarly achievement in theatre.
Assistant Teachers:
2-week residential: Eddie Yu and Radhika Jain
Eddie is a slasher- Drama Therapist/Psychodrama Psychotherapist/Social Worker/Trainer/Supervisor/Consultant/Applied Theatre Practitioner/Playback Theatre Trainer/University Honorary Lecturer. He specialises in working with people with traumatic experiences, grief and loss, mental health issues and ex-offenders.
Founding member and co-Artistic Director of Encounter Playback Theatre, Leadership Graduate and Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer of CPT, Practitioner Member and ex-Board Member of IPTN. Eddie has been teacher for Asian Playback Intensive Training, homegroup leader and panel speaker for International Playback Theatre Conference. He has been teaching locally and internationally.
Area of Interest: Conducting, Group Process, Company Life, Therapeutic Use of Playback Theatre, Interpretation & Inclusion in Workshop & Performances, Ritual, Essence of Story, Trauma, Bereavement
Radhika Jain is an Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer and the Co-founder and Artistic Director of First Drop Theatre, an Applied Theatre company in Bangalore, India. She is also an Expressive Arts therapy practitioner and the visiting faculty for Playback Theatre at the Azim Premji University in Bangalore and Applied Theatre India Foundation in Pune. She is the co-editor of the International Playback Theatre Network (IPTN) journal and the Secretary (Executive Committee) at the Centre for Playback Theatre, USA. Prior to her Theatre journey, she finished a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Germany and has corporate experience of 7 years in the field of Consulting and Marketing Research.
Support Staff
Leadership Communications Manager (offsite): Bea Somogyi
Financial Assistant: Sheila Donio
Onsite CPT Liaison: Radhika Jain
