Speakers: River Újhadbor, theatre practitioner and pre-doctoral research fellow, and Dörte Bemme, Lecturer in Society and Mental Health, both Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London

Facilitator: Sally Marlow, Engagement and Impact Fellow, IoPPN, and BBC Radio Presenter

In this seminar, the first of a brand-new series, Dörte and River will reflect on a two-day online workshop that explored the highs and lows of the digital world with people who have experienced digital exclusion. Drawing on a set of theatrical methods called 'The Theatre of the Oppressed', the group co-created poetry, movement and soundscapes that brought to life the emotions and challenges of digital participation, as well as visions for change.

The workshop, supported by King's ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine and the ground-breaking theatre company Clean Break, created a space for mutual learning and content for a podcast episode in the series 'Our Sick Society'.

In this seminar Dörte and River will share their thoughts on:

- taking an innovative participatory theatre approach to public engagement

- strengthening relationships with stakeholders outside of academia

- evidencing the impact of engagement

- the challenges of online inclusive practice

- what academia can learn from arts-based research

You can listen to River and Dörte's podcast episode - 'Digital exclusions: mental health and digital life' here.

The seminar will take place on MS Teams, and is open to all King's staff and students. Please register to attend.

The Public Engagement at King’s Seminar Series is a new series of online lunchtime events organised by the King’s Engaged Researcher Network. We’ll be inviting King's researchers who have taken part in inspiring public engagement projects to come along and speak about their experience. What approaches did they take, what were the successes and challenges, and what did they learn? There will be the chance to ask the speakers questions and connect with the growing community of King's staff and students interested in engaging diverse audiences with their research.

Find out what other seminars are coming up here.

Creating knowledge through participatory theatre