Theatre for Change is an innovative theatre workshop program for South Australian military members and emergency service personnel.

After the first successful program in 2019, Military and Emergency Services Health Australia (MESHA) once again supported this initiative in 2021, with an eight-week program supported by the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Office for Ageing Well.

Theatre for Change gives participants the opportunity to explore a range of theatrical pathways including acting or performance, scriptwriting, set, costume, lighting and sound design, production and technical elements in a safe and supported environment.

The program is developed and delivered by Jo Stone and Paolo Castro, two professional theatre artists with extensive experience in acting, directing and devising professional theatre productions plus film and television productions. The primary goal of Theatre for Change is for participants to have fun, increase social connections and enjoy learning more about the theatre and themselves.

There is convincing evidence to suggest that art therapies have been shown to reduce Post-Traumatic Stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms and improve functioning. As a result, there is increasing interest in the potential benefits of arts-based activities for service personnel.

Theatre for Change is not a therapeutic program, however looking at scenes and dialogue, and analysing behaviour in characters, can enhance participants’ self-investigation and awareness.

As explained by program facilitator Jo Stone: “Suppressing emotion is a tactic often used to navigate and survive trauma. But being able to identify and normalise it in a completely different context is sometimes a big thing for some participants and can be therapeutic.”

The program gives participants the opportunity to explore a range of acting methodologies, scriptwriting and performance in a safe and supported environment.

Simultaneously, Castro and Stone with a wealth of experience behind them, seek to develop and stretch participant’s acting skillsets in a way that makes them feel empowered by offering a plethora of options participants can explore- flexible to the wants and needs of the group on the day.

Theatre for Change also provides a place of safety and quietness for the participants to feel free to be wherever they are at. Previous participants of the program have commented that the program provides a space or a community where participants can explore and express their experiences and break down social and emotional isolation- which is common amongst veterans.

“People have said they feel safe, which is really beautiful. For this group, being safe is of high priority and being able to create that, I feel really honoured,” said Jo.

A past participant, Sharon said: “The sense of relief I feel every week after attending the program is hard to put into words: what I can say is that working with Jo and Paulo has enabled me to find words for experiences that I have locked away for months and in some cases years.

“Indeed, I have recently transcribed my diaries from deployment to Iraq with a view to developing a screenplay. I had been unable to read those diaries until now, but Jo and Paulo have given me the space, permission and opportunity to revisit my experiences in a meaningful and safe way.”

For more information on Theatre for Change, contact MESHA on (08) 7002 0880 or email contactus@mesha.org.au.