Diversity Workshop

Fusion Theatre Diversity Workshop is a professional learning experience that explores themes of inclusion, diversity and social justice. Through applied theatre, drama, and stories, participants are provided with opportunities to reflect on how they might identify barriers to inclusion and contribute to a more inclusive society. The workshop is co-presented by a team of Fusion Theatre actors who have disabilities, and who bring their unique understandings of disability and high level of experience in drama and theatre to the workshop.

The team works with a teacher/director to customize the workshop according to the interests and needs of different participant groups. For example, each year since 2008 Fusion has presented the Teaching for Diversity workshop for final year pre-service teachers at Deakin University.

Since the first workshops in 2007, well over 1000 educators, pre-service teachers, school students and other members of the community have experienced the Diversity Workshop.

In addition to university and school presentations, the Fusion Theatre Diversity Workshop team has presented the workshop and papers at state, national and international conferences and events:
2007 IDEA: International Association of Drama and Theatre in Education, Hong Kong
2007 Drama Victoria State Conference, University of Melbourne
2008 RiSE symposium: Re-imagining Special Education through Arts and Arts Therapy - Melbourne Conference Centre.
2009 Drama Australia National Conference, University of Melbourne
2011 Drama Victoria State Conference (Keynote and workshop), University of Melbourne.
2016 Victoria University Inclusion and Diversity Day
2016 Australian Childcare Alliance Victoria Conference
2017 Encountering Diversity - collaboration with Ruckus Ensemble, University of Sydney, & Sydney Theatre Company.
2018 Asia-Europe Foundation Summer University, Melbourne
2018 The Inclusive Education Summit, Deakin University, Geelong
2019 Inclusive Disability Research: Arts-based Approaches Symposium, Deakin University
2019 The Drama Victoria Conference - Unity: Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in Drama Education, University of Melbourne.

Comments from participants in the Diversity Workshop:

"Profound! Insightful! Extremely helpful. I learned to be open minded and see the person, not the disability."

“Attending the Fusion theatre workshop was an incredible experience. The hands-on approach, interactive nature of the workshop and unfailingly kind people involved provided what turned out to be invaluable in terms of the knowledge I gained.”

“The level of confidence that the Fusion actors displayed was both inspiring and challenging. The acting and the entire forum was their domain. With such grace and inclusion, they were able to guide us in our sometimes inadequate acting skills, direct our drama and lead us towards greater understanding.”

“I found the workshop very informative and thought provoking. It has made an impact on me and dispelled some fears I had in working with students with special needs.”

“It was very memorable in that it exercised the muscles, the mind and the heart.”

Diversity workshop flyer pdf
Article - A lesson in inclusion delivered to trainee teachers by those who know