Facilitators reported attitudinal change within their workplace or school. Colleagues were reported to be more communicative and to share their experiences more openly.
The biggest impact was…people talking to each other. There were staff members who didn’t even know other staff members existed, and they were talking for the first time, introducing themselves to each other, and there was just this whole…communication thing, which has made it almost like walking into a different work environment at times.
Participants reported increased awareness of oppression and more open discussion by staff about oppressive incidents, as well as seeking strategies to deal with oppressive attitudes and behaviours.
I am the ‘locker person’ in the school. More staff come to me now and say so-and-so is being bullied at the lockers; what can we do about it? The kids are actively engaged in it, and it’s not just fun stuff. It is fun, we make it fun, but it’s because it’s involving serious issues. The issues have come from them, and that’s immediately engaging them. And I think that’s the value of it.
Teachers reported that the student performers had changed both imperceptibly and more obviously.
The fact that they had all been in that group with me made a huge difference to the classroom atmosphere with those kids. I can’t put my finger on it…but I know that they’re relating differently to me and each other. Part of that is that we tried to work out how we could do it again; they really wanted to do it again.
Facilitators reported great changes in their group from the whole experience.
They all just physically look a bit different, like they look more comfortable in their bodies, and their eyes have relaxed… they’re not afraid of communicating now.
One boy who previously barely communicated began to speak in sentences, and a number seemed to have gained confidence in public speaking and generally now spoke more openly in class.
He was up there on stage in front of everyone, smiling and responding; it was fantastic….I’ve had feedback from other staff members that the kids in the group have been approaching them to discuss issues, which hasn’t happened before…. It’s helped them to communicate on a different level, I think.
Changes in students were not just confined to the participants. For example, one boy who saw the play asked who the counsellors in the school were and ended up talking over some problems with the Facilitator.
I think it has passed on through the whole of 9A as well. Their comfort zone has increased…and because the rest of the class have actually seen the play, they are also more open in discussion.
