The Global Exe team.

Global Exe: Acting-Up for Cultural Diversity

Undergraduate students from the College have been working hard on a student-led Change Agents project which aims to raise awareness of Cultural Diversity at The University of Exeter through interactive Forum Theatre performances.

Jason Chang, a second year sociology student and founder of Global Exe, began working on the project almost a year ago with co-founder Johanna Heit. Jason said that he hoped the project could “empower individuals through dialogue and understanding” and encourage people to learn more about the diverse array of cultures represented at The University of Exeter.

In the past year Jason and Johanna have worked with students from many different cultures and backgrounds and eventually a core group came together made up of Anna Frem, Rhiana Vowles, Nancy Stapleton, Jasper Ho and Divya Singh. The team of seven organised a well-attended evening of discussions and activities surrounding cultural diversity which took place in the Lemon Grove on Wednesday 4th March where the focal point of the evening was a Forum Theatre Performance.

Forum Theatre is an innovative, educational tool that uses audience participation to help people to change the world around them; audiences are presented with a scenario which highlights an oppressive situation and are then invited to come on stage, replace one of the actors, and try to change the course of the action to create a positive outcome.

Audience feedback was incredibly positive and Professor Wendy Robinson, Associate Dean (Education) for the College of Social Science and International Studies, commented that “this was a thought-provoking and highly stimulating event which actively engaged the whole audience in the realities of achieving a truly diverse learning community in Exeter. I hope there are further opportunities for Global Exe to share its understandings with staff and students”.

Whilst the event may be over now, the group are determined that it won’t be the last of its kind! Jason and company are already in discussions with College staff and the Guild to try and develop this project further and expand the audience beyond the University and into the local community of Exeter.

If you are interested in getting involved with the project or would like to keep up to date with what the team are doing then you can follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/globalexe/timeline or drop them an e-mail at globalexeter@gmail.com.

Date: 18 March 2015

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