Open Session: Decolonisation and Multilingualism in Theatre
Monday 10 August
7.00pm - 9.00pm
What is decolonisation, and how can we practice it in theatre? What does multilingual theatre look like, and what is needed to make compelling theatrical experiences in this form?
This is a discussion-based workshop led by Malaysian theatre director Zhui Ning Chang. Zhui Ning has created and directed multilingual and decolonial work over the course of her career, and is interested to brainstorm and encourage opportunities and methods for more with others.
Participants will take part in facilitated discussion as a group as well as in small breakout rooms. The workshop will aim to discuss ideas around what decolonial theatre can be, how to make it successfully, what tools are needed to write, cast, and convey a coherent and compelling experience in multilingual work, and what resources and examples we can look towards for the future.
This workshop is suitable for directors, writers, and theatre-makers who are thinking about and applying methods of inclusive practice into their work. No prior academic knowledge of decolonisation is necessary. A brief outline will be provided for participants ahead of the workshop.
Please confirm you are attending this session by clicking the sign-up button above.
Closed captions will be available for this session via Otter AI and details on how to use this will be provided on the day. Please let us know if you have any other access requirements using the space on the sign up form so we can get appropriate provision in place.
Zoom details will then be emailed to you on the day of the session.
Open Session is an initiative for directors, designers or producers on the Genesis Network to run a one-off session, discussion, or initiative.
This is a peer-led session that is not curated by RTYDS or Young Vic.
Zhui Ning Chang is a Malaysian theatre director, producer and facilitator based in London. Her practice focuses on intercultural performance, theatre as resistance, and new writing from underrepresented communities. She has worked mainly in new plays, and also has experience in devising, musicals, opera and audio drama. Zhui Ning is an Associate Director at Flux Theatre and a co-founder of Lazy Native, a theatre collective championing Southeast Asian stories on international stages. She is also Connections Producer at Global Voices Theatre. She trained on the Tamasha Theatre Director Programme and holds a BA (Hons) Liberal Arts from King’s College London, where she majored in comparative literature with a focus on critical race theory and decolonization in science fiction and fantasy. Follow her work on Twitter @witchywonderer or her website zhuiningchang.com