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Matthew Hahn is an international theatre director, playwright and theatre for development facilitator, post-graduate with experience of creating, coordinating and implementing theatre projects in the United Kingdom, the United States, East & Southern Africa. He is experienced in co-creating international theatre projects focusing on developing and enabling young people, social cohesion, peace-making and conflict resolution in the Global South & North.

Thursday, 17 November 2011

Verbatim & Forum Theatre performance - research

Today, the production team for the show that the students will take to Malawi met for the first time. Sophie Scott [Assistant Director], Emma Schumacher[assistant producer], Ella Farley & Jade Nairne[script writers] met with Matthew Hahn, the director and lecturer on the Theatre for Development module.

The students have gathered interviews from Positive East [an HIV charity in East London] on the topic of 'Safer Sex' and 'Gender Equality.' The students are also gathering stories from their friends and families and their own lives on these topics.

From these interviews, the team will devise several forum pieces integrating the verbatim work into the plays. They will present the play around Malawi as part of a tour to the Teacher Training Colleges around Lilongwe. They will also gather stories whilst on their workplacement in Malawi to form a play that will be performed upon return to London in late May.

We discussed how the play will be put together and how they will have an impact on the audiences. One very important aspect of the students trip is to 'bring something' to the audiences in Malawi - to make it a true skills exchange rather than them taking and not giving. They are excited to present this work to a Malawian audience to show the similarities and differences in approaching the topics of 'Safer Sex' and 'Gender Equality.'

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