Nikki Mailer Delivering theatre & participatory arts projects for personal development & social change
My background
I have been an applied theatre practitioner for over 10 years. I use theatre as a tool for positive social change, education, confidence building and emotional well-being. I have delivered applied theatre projects in the UK with marginalised and vulnerable people and in deprived areas. I have a Master of Arts in applied theatre from Manchester University and trained with different practitioners including Augusto Boal who founded the theatre of the oppressed. My approach and vision widened considerably through projects in the US, India and South America, beginning with an apprenticeship with Bread and Puppet a politically radical theatre company in Vermont where I performed in shows and parades. In India I participated in theatre and development projects and activist street theatre. Most recently I spent time developing theatre projects in a Favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil and working alongside a prison theatre company in Santiago, Chile.
I currently lead a theatre company for learning disabled actors and I am co-director of a new arts collective called ‘Outside the Frame Arts’ that aims to challenge the gatekeepers of knowledge and platform unheard voices outside of the mainstream. Our focus is to engage with Black Asian and Minority artists/communities. We recently finished a year-long project promoting Palestinian playwrights through creative writing workshops. This project acted as a catalyst to create our new arts collective that dovetails arts and activism.
I believe in collaborative work and developing projects that are shaped by the people and the relationships we build. I use theatre and a variety of creative disciplines to engage people, draw on different art forms and apply them to specific needs and contexts. My background in learning disabled theatre has shaped my emphasis on workshops and projects that are inclusive and responsive to all participants and groups. We are continuously learning, and at the heart of this is questioning and reflecting on our role as applied theatre practitioners.
You can see films of my work and blog posts HERE.
Places
Theatres, prisons, secure units, youth centres, community centres, schools, EBD schools, universities, theatre festivals, conferences, favelas in Brazil, housing estates, the streets, rural villages
Groups
People with disabilities or learning difficulties, faith groups (Muslim and Jewish community), young offenders, people at risk of social exclusion, children in care, young carers, early years, refugee and asylum seekers, people experiencing difficulties with their mental health, people experiencing homelessness
Organisations
The Edge Theatre and Arts, Burnley Youth Theatre, Octagon Theatre, The Lowry Theatre, Bread and Puppet Theate (Vermont), Pravah (India), Charlotte Miller Art Project with Acer (Brazil), DIY Theatre, Manchester City Council, Cybertots Nursery, Waterside Arts Centre, Mencap, Purple Patch Arts, The Red Cross, Curious Minds, Big Foot Arts Education, Odd Theatre Company, Blackpool Arts for Health, June Rendal Dance School, Bounce Theatre, Music Stuff, TiPP (theatre in prisons and probabtion), Manchester University, CAN (Community Arts North West), LISG (Lesbian Immigration Support Group), Cheshire Dance
Themes or focus
Health care, confidence building, stories, plays, aspirations, knife crime, homophobia, diversity, mordern day slavery, forced marriage, women's empowerment, community building, self expression, team building, disability advocacy, identity, detention, dreams, relationships, racism, conflict resolution, the first world war, Anne Frank, mental health, well-being, play, citizenship, leadership, self-expression, performance skills, training for adults and young people in specific skills
Approaches or Methods
Improvistaion, theatre of the oppressed, physical theatre, mask work, storytelling, puppetry, creative movement, creative writing, devising, script work, visual art, stop animation, film, peer-led work