Dr. Cindy Jardine will be showcasing research that she has collaborated with several Métis and First Nations communities on at a special event on March 9.

Jardine, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Health and Community in the Faculty of Health Sciences at UFV, will discuss her collaborative research on the use of forum theatre activities to promote mental wellness with Indigenous youth at a presentation on the UFV Abbotsford campus at 6 pm in Room B101 (lecture theatre). Admission is free and the public is welcome.

Forum theatre, a form of Augusto Boal’s ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’, is built on games that foster trust and cooperation to bring individuals together as a community through laughter and a shared sense of belonging. In this space of trust, participants may then progress to imaging activities that eventually result in a short play that reflects an oppressive situation of concern.

Dr. Jardine and several Métis and First Nation communities are collectively working to Indigenize and adapt forum theatre for different groups, geographies, and participants.

As the only way to truly understand the power of forum theatre is to experience it, audience members will be invited to participate in some basic community development games in this interactive, all-ages event.

Mon, March 9
6-7 pm
Abby B101 (lecture theatre)

About the speaker:
Dr. Cindy Jardine is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Health and Community in the Faculty of Health Sciences at UFV. Her research focuses on developing and improving communications around health risks, with a focus on Indigenous and immigrant communities. She is honoured to partner with Indigenous communities across Canada on strength-based approaches to wellness.

Forum Theatre research project collaborators:

• Gunn Métis Local 55
• Frog Lake Cree First Nation
• Heart Lake Cree First Nation
• Yellowknives Dene First Nation (including the communities of Ndilo and Dettah)
• Siksika Blackfoot First Nation

This event is part of UFV’s Research Encounter Series, supported by the UFV Office of Research, Engagement, and Graduate Studies. Learn more at ufv.ca/research

For more information, contact Danielle Mijo Burch at Danielle.MijoBurch@ufv.ca