Hidden (In)equities in the Workplace: A Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop

About the workshop

Some inequalities hide in plain sight: the “jokes” that sting, the accent corrections, the silence in meetings, the extra “cultural” labour expected from East Asian colleagues. These micro-moments add up—often unseen, unnoticed, and hard to name.

This workshop, part of the ESRC-funded Festival of Social Sciences 2025 at the University of Glasgow, draws on the magic of Theatre of the Oppressed—a participatory theatre method where people rehearse real-life struggles and try out new responses.. Together, we will use playful warm-ups, Image Theatre (silent body sculpting), and Forum Theatre (short scenes with audience interventions). These methods help us make the hidden visible and imagine fairer ways of working.

We use the word “workplace” in a broad sense. It includes not only jobs but also study, volunteering, and other spaces where people collaborate, contribute, or care.

No theatre experience is needed—just curiosity.

Expect a relaxed and fun atmosphere with breaks, gentle pacing, and space for connection. You will leave with practical ideas, a stronger sense of community, and simple tools to use beyond the event.

What you’ll experience

· Embodied warm-ups to arrive, relax, and connect

· Image Theatre: silent sculpting, witnessing, and meaning-making

· Forum Theatre: short scenes of hidden inequity, with audience interventions to test strategies

· Collective reflection and practical takeaways you can use after the workshop

Who it’s for

· Adults (18+) who culturally identify as East Asian

· Adults (18+) who work, study, or volunteer alongside East Asian colleagues/students

· Allies (18+) interested in intercultural collaboration and equitable workplaces

When & where

· Date/Time: Sat, 18 Oct 2025,10:00–16:00 (please arrive 5 minutes early)

· Location: Advanced Research Centre Room 237B & 237C

· Capacity: Approximately 20 participants

Access & care

· Step-free access and accessible facilities

· Take part in ways that feel right for you (opt-in/opt-out/opt-back-in)

· Topics may touch on discrimination and stress; a quiet space will be available

· Lunch and refreshments provided (vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free available; other needs on request)

· Please share dietary and access needs at registration so we can meet your needs

What to bring

· Comfortable clothing and shoes for gentle movement

· A memory or feeling linked to a specific experience of hidden inequality in the workplace (this can include jobs, academic study, or volunteering)

Outline of the day

· 10:00–10:20 Welcome and registration

· 10:20–10:50 Warm-up games and activities

· 10:50–11:35 Image Theatre – co-create embodied sculpting

· 11:35–11:50 Break

· 11:50–12:35 Image Theatre – change roles and explore new perspectives

· 12:35–13:35 Lunch (provided)

· 13:35–14:35 Forum Theatre – imagine workplace equity and inclusivity

· 14:35–14:50 Break

· 14:50–15:30 Forum Theatre – continue interventions and responses

· 15:30–16:00 Discussion and closing – group reflection and sharing

Photography & filming

Consent options are provided during Eventbrite registration. Your informed consent will be confirmed again at on-site registration, with clear opt-out options. We avoid identifiable faces unless you explicitly opt in.

Tickets

· Free (limited places). If you can’t attend, please cancel so someone on the waiting list can join.

Facilitators

· Qiao Dai — Feminist educator and researcher ｜ Creative practitioner

Qiao is based in Glasgow and Nottingham. Her work focuses on gender, migration, and creative methods. She uses arts-based and participatory approaches, including Theatre of the Oppressed, to explore identity, power, and community. Through her practice, she creates spaces where people can imagine new ways of being and relating, and where community can grow. She believes in the power of creativity and the arts to open dialogue and enable transformation. In her facilitation, she takes a caring and power-sensitive approach, supporting people to explore sensitive and complex issues in ways that feel relaxed, embodied, and connected.

· Zhihan Wu — Creative experiential facilitator｜Psychological practitioner｜PhD researcher

Zhihan is a PhD researcher based in Glasgow, exploring how identity and agency are manifested through ongoing interaction with the environment. As a psychological practitioner, she has seen how people often lose connection with themselves while striving to meet external expectations. This insight, together with her own lived experience, has shaped her belief in the need for gentle, non-judgmental spaces where exploration becomes part of everyday life. Through creative and experiential practices, she invites people to encounter their feelings with honesty and presence, and to reimagine how inquiry and life can meet. Her facilitation is guided by care and sensitivity, creating spaces where participants can pause, experience, (re)connect, and experiment with new ways of being.

· Boya Li - Researcher in Sociology ｜Human Rights Activist

Boya Li is a PhD researcher whose work focuses on migration, belonging, and the notion of home. Her research explores how migrants navigate inequality and marginalisation in their everyday lives, shaped by ethnicity, sexuality, and gender. She has a particular interest in community-based and informal forms of social engagement, and how such practices might contribute to social change. Drawing on her lived experience as a migrant across diverse social and cultural contexts, she addresses social inequality through both academic research and grassroots practice.

Questions?We’ll email joining instructions (venue and access) before the event. You can reply to that email with any questions.