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Angela Witcher

What

In 2014, Angela Witcher studied an Introduction to Dramatherapy course over six weekends in Sydney. The course, run by registered dramatherapists Joanna Jaaniste and Adrian Lania at the Dramatherapy Centre, has allowed Angela to strengthen and diversify her arts practice.

Angela is the Artistic Director of InsideOutside Theatre Company. She works mainly with young people and adults who have intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

Angela also works with Access Arts Queensland, heading up the Performing Arts Group. She also designs new course material to facilitate opportunities for other artists to share their knowledge and experience with members.

When

September – November 2014 

Where

The Dramatherapy Centre, Sydney. 

Arts Queensland contribution

$5132– Individuals Fund  

Outcomes

  • Angela gained an understanding of how dramatherapy can work alongside her existing theatre practice to provide greater benefits to the young people with disabilities that she currently works with. Angela will go on to study the first professional dramatherapy qualification in Australia with Ikon training in 2015–16. 
  • Angela has partnered with another practitioner who attended the course to provide play workshops for the community. 
  • Angela is working with Access Arts Queensland to devise ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops so that she can share her knowledge with other artists and facilitators. She is also exploring opportunities to partner with Queensland Health, the Defence Force and the Queensland Police. 

Learnings and reflections

Angela’s involvement in the course has allowed her to become more confident in taking her practice to new audiences. 

Angela had the following reflections on dramatherapy and how it will influence her future practice: 

I learnt that dramatherapy is an amazing tool for encouraging people to open up through adapted theatre techniques and learn to heal themselves. It truly is beneficial to everyone, not just people with an illness or a disability and it will help me to make my practice much broader and empathetic. I had the privelege of sharing the stories of some incredible women who have really 'done it tough' and learned that just because you cannot see someone's suffering it doesn't mean they aren't suffering. 

By opening my own mind and sharing other people's stories, I can enrich my practice with greater meaning and integrity and I can teach other people to use these techniques to gain both personal and professional benefits. 

Contact for further information

Email: angela@insideoutsidetheatre.com

Phone: 0499 002 989

 

A pdf version (PDF) (326.61 KB) of the case study is available.