Hanoi, December 2019
This was something of a breakthrough. For many years Pan’s artist- facilitators have been working with survivors of trafficking in the UK.
These have mostly been women trafficked for the sex industry or domestic slavery although some members of our young migrants groups may also have been trafficked.
Our projects work with survivors of horrifying events. We are there as these events end and the long, difficult task to rediscover a “normal” life begins, rediscovering confidence, self worth and aspirations, moving into education and employment.
Although these projects, mostly under the banner of our ‘Amies’ workshops, are hugely successful and hundreds of women have been helped to reclaim their lives, we are always aware that our work is treating the damage, not stopping the damage from happening.
So it was very encouraging to learn that the fight against trafficking and modern day slavery in Vietnam was planning to use Theatre for Development to raise awareness in communities about the dangers of sending people abroad. It was even more exciting to be invited to deliver the training to members of five regional theatre companies in Northern Vietnam, so that they could create interactive plays with their communities to discuss alternatives to forced migration (or migration presumed innocent but leading to enslavement).
This is, after all, a country now in the “trafficking spotlight”. Everyone in Vietnam knew about “the 39” (found dead in containers in the UK) and knew about Essex (where they were discovered), although the presence of trafficked Vietnamese in many countries has been a reality for a long time. The International Organisation for Migration, with Vietnam’s Ministry for Public Security, the British Council and the UK Home Office all back this venture as part of a nationwide drive to try and change behaviours.
Landing in Hanoi and meeting the 25 participants for this (very short) 5 day training was fascinating. Hanoi was not what I expected – ultra-bustling, busy and quite cold – neither were the participants! Chosen to represent their theatre companies the delegations were made up of some very established “senior” artists. You know they are senior when they tell you they have been awarded the title “Meritorius Artist”. Amongst them were very experienced composers, playwrights, directors and arts managers. Many wore formal clothes (suits for the men, high heels and tight skirts for the women), were glued to their mobile phones and needed frequent cigarette breaks. They looked at first as if they were listening politely as I outlined a different form of theatre – one where the audience gets to suggest the outcomes of plays – but were not going to change the habits of a lifetime. Perhaps the idea of taking part in drama exercises and improvising situations put their reputations at risk.
“You can’t teach old dogs new tricks” confided one of the organisers. Interestingly the Vietnamese version of this is “Old bamboo doesn’t bend”.
How to bend the old bamboo?
Well, they were more or less matched with some younger performers who seemed more ready to absorb new techniques, and slowly it emerged that some participants lived quite close to victims of trafficking. One actor told us that 5 of “the 39” were from his area, and another said he would like to take everyone to his village to meet the families of women who had been trafficked
to China to be wives (often to more than one member of a family).
This mixture of realising the gravity of the situation, watching younger members start to explore the possibilities of making forum theatre and my much repeated phrase that, yes, perhaps “Theatre Can Save Lives”, brought most of them on board.
Perhaps I also played a part here. Being of the same age as some of the “seniors” and yet being ready to take part in all the drama games and exercises (and make a fool of myself!) gave them licence to join in with me.
As we explored ways of creating a theatre drawn from real life experiences of trafficking and immediately recognisable to members of communities who suffered the results, the bamboo did bend.
I also learned that although to be a member of a state-run theatre you must have completed a degree in drama, I don’t think those courses resemble the very hands-on, investigative classes common in UK institutions. Several of the younger performers told me that this way of working, through games and drama exercises, was totally new to them, and that they found it very exciting.
Between my training sessions there were talks from police, lawyers and migration experts. I soon learned that trafficking from Vietnam is more than I had thought. 80% of trafficking is of women to China where they are enslaved as “wives”, deprived of papers, money and not knowing the language. There is also (a new term to me) Foetal Trafficking, in which pregnant women (mostly single) are tricked into travelling abroad (Korea and Taiwan were mentioned) and their babies are taken from them immediately after birth to sell. The women are abandoned.
Even the type of trafficking which I expected to be the focus is complex. If the individual leaves Vietnam willingly, believing perhaps there is a genuine job awaiting them, and is only then enslaved once out of the country, this is not trafficking under Vietnamese law.
The plays that the participants started to create in the workshop and will work into full performances in the coming months will have to take into account all these factors.
As the training progressed the ideas started to crystallise. It was not hard for them to imagine plays which could describe the dangers and tragedies of trafficking. What was difficult for the more senior members was that they should not write these from their own imaginations but should consult with communities and use elements of real stories to construct them. Only this way will audiences really recognise and empathise with stories and want to find alternatives to the tragic endings.
What was equally difficult was to give up “artistic” ideas in favour of clear chronological plays which reveal the mechanisms, events and decisions which lead to trafficking disasters. One group wanted to use a “flashback” technique. It was beautiful, but broke the sequence of events which an audience would need in order to see moments where it could have been different.
For it is vital in Forum Theatre that, having seen the short play once, the audience watches it again and can, at any moment shout “STOP”, and come up on stage to act out what they would do in that situation to avoid themselves sliding towards the crisis ending they have just seen.
Members of the audience on stage?
Members of the audience changing our play?
We won’t know what they will suggest but will have to keep acting in character?
Yes, that is Forum Theatre, and Yes it seems a little scary because there are unknowns, lots of them. But this is a chance for community members to act out alternatives to ready themselves, to find alternative routes for themselves, their families, their friends.
And that is the deal for these participants. Having rehearsed ways of constructing a Forum Theatre event, they now have to go back to their regional companies armed with a 30 page manual I have written for them, cascade this training to their colleagues, create plays and take them back into the community to start a debate about how change can happen and what change could look like.
Will they do it?
In two months time I shall return to see their work in the field and to troubleshoot any problems they are experiencing. I am looking forward to that and I came to really like this unexpected group of participants. Towards the end of the workshop I saw them come into their own. The composers were making music for the “scratch” performance we made, the directors were directing skilfully, the singers were providing accompaniment and the performers were engaging fully. Some performers were natural extroverts (no not all actors are extroverts) and naturally fell into the role of the Joker/Facilitator, a kind of MC who runs the whole Forum Event.
I know they can do it.
I hope they know it too.
This is a very real case of where Theatre Can Save Lives.
Good Luck to all of them and I thank them for listening to and accepting these ideas.
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Alison has over 30 years’ experience of working as a fundraiser - mostly for arts organisations. She’s been part of large teams working on major capital campaigns for national organisations as well as the sole fundraiser for small, community-based charities. She's a keen believer in the role that art in all its forms can play in health and wellbeing, and enjoys working with funders to enable great ideas to grow into projects that change lives.
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Once a troubled young person searching for direction, I found a sense of purpose through a drama workshop that changed my life. That experience opened my eyes to the power of creativity, expression, and community.
Inspired by how theatre helped me find my voice, I went on to train and develop as a drama facilitator, using performance and storytelling to help others explore their own potential and confidence.
Taku Mukiwa works for the Terrence Higgins Trust's delivery of national HIV prevention social marketing campaigns. His responsibilities include managing the delivery of England's National HIV Prevention Programme, and HIV Prevention England.
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Sophie Froment is, and has been, a Human Resources/People Manager for many years. She has worked across a range of industries and has lived in France, Switzerland, Iceland and is now in the UK.
Sophie is delighted to join Pan as a Trustee because she is deeply inspired by Pan's mission. She is very impressed by the range and depth of Pan's activities because she firmly believes that the performing arts can truly change peoples' lives.
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Melanie Hargreaves has held media and public relations roles in the charity sector for 15 years, most recently leading the global media function for the Freedom Fund, which invests in frontline communities and movements to drive progress towards a world free of slavery. She previously worked at international development organisation, Christian Aid, where she covered on-the-ground humanitarian emergency response, as well as campaigns addressing global displacement and violence against women and girls. Melanie also led media relations at UK domestic charity, Hospice UK and prior to entering the charity sector, Melanie worked as a journalist for The Press Association (PA Media).
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Maya has worked in the corporate sector for many years, mainly in finance and financial communications. She has lived in Brussels, Leiden, Paris and London. Eight years ago, she moved to the charity sector, where she has been charge of building and growing Corporate Partnerships.
She is passionate about generating positive social impact and championing projects to help make a tangible difference. and is very impressed by Pan’s extensive work and ethos, and by how performing arts really can change people’s lives.
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Lloyd is the Global Property Director at Aesop. Prior to Aesop, Lloyd has held numerous senior roles in the Fashion and Real Estate sector, always having a clear focus on growing brands and reaching new global audiences.
In his spare time he enjoys gardening, long country walks and the theatre.
During the coming year, Lloyd's key focus will be to support Pan in securing a new permanent home within London.
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Jumoké Fashola is a radio broadcaster for BBC London, currently presenting 'Inspirit with Jumoké Fashola', on BBC Radio London. As such she brings knowledge of the media world. She is a professional singer, media trainer and keen supporter of youth issues.
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Heather Fokerd is the director/owner of Lordship Consultancy Ltd, which provides financial services to schools. She became a chartered accountant after studying Business Management. Heather brings both financial and business acumen to the Board.
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Hatice is an award-winning broadcast professional at NBC News who has covered major global events for over a decade. She has extensive experience in helping to produce long-form projects, breaking news and large-scale events, with her work spanning topics from war zones, terrorist attacks, and political elections to the Olympics, Royal Milestones, and Thanksgiving Parades.
Prior to her career in news, Hatice worked with NGOs, cultivating a passion for social justice and humanitarianism. Her advocacy for meaningful change aligns closely with Pan’s mission to empower marginalized communities through the arts. Hatice’s Turkish-Cypriot heritage gives her a her a deep understanding of Pan’s work and its importance in supporting those affected by hardship.
Hatice holds both BA and MA degrees from SOAS University and is proud to contribute to Pan’s remarkable mission and values.
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Hannah Wengård is a multidisciplinary artist, fundraiser, and project coordinator working across the arts and charity sectors. She leads on safeguarding and learning & development for one of MSF UK’s fundraising teams while freelancing in theatre, both on stage and screen. Passionate about creating trauma-informed spaces, she explores theatre, movement, and music in participatory arts. Hannah holds a BA in World Performance from East 15 Acting School (2022) and an MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries from SOAS (2023).
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Brian is delighted to be the Chair of Pan's Board of Trustees after being a member of the board for over 14 years. He is a practising Barrister specialising in Criminal Law.
He regularly attends the theatre, live music venues and film events. "My love of the arts, coupled with my knowledge of people gained through my work, led me to join Pan"
Brian is convinced that the Arts can change lives. He hopes, along with all the Pan family, to continue the great work of his predecessors in championing the power of live performance, to explore cultural diversity and tolerance.
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Alice is the UK MD for Icepay, an Amsterdam based payments fintech. Alice was previously at the British Business Bank, where she led strategy, economic analysis, product and business development from just after its founding in 2015 to 2021. She was involved there in supporting the UK life sciences, fintech, and creative sectors, as well as broader diversity and inclusion work. The BBB is the UK Government’s delivery arm for SME finance and the largest domestic institutional investor in UK venture capital.
Alice also spent 5 years at Barclays plc and Barclaycard, in corporate and data-driven strategy roles. Prior to that, she worked for Lloyds Banking Group in Cards and Prophet, a strategic marketing and brand consultancy. She began her career at McKinsey, latterly specialising in corporate finance and strategy.
Alice earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and her MBA from INSEAD in France. She is a dual US and UK citizen and a fluent Mandarin Chinese speaker.
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Adam is a Director at Savills. He heads up the Place-Shaping team within London, helping deliver programmes of cultural activity at sites across the UK.
He is particularly active in areas of diversity & inclusion and community engagement with an interest in the ways in which the arts can be used as a means through which to connect audiences from diverse backgrounds. He enjoys helping shape environments which foster collaboration between people and communities and in understanding the ways in which people interact with the built environment in new, unexpected and creative ways.
Prior to Savills, Adam held leadership positions at property companies including WeWork and The Crown Estate. He also worked at English Heritage helping deliver major investment projects at historic visitor destinations including Dover Castle and Charles Darwin's home, Down House, in Kent.
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Emmeline has worked in the administration and hospitality sectors for a decade, using her meticulous eye for detail and financial acumen to improve company processes and help places run more efficiently. She joined Pan as Administration Officer and swiftly became a centre of support for both our projects and office team, always on hand for the variety of tasks thrown her way, offering solutions and ideas to move forward with. She is thoroughly passionate about Pan providing the best possible experience for our participants.
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Joanna brings over 14 years of experience in arts management, with previous roles at Somerset House, a regional theatre, and a puppetry festival. She currently serves as a trustee for Outside Edge Theatre Company.
Throughout her career, Joanna has driven impactful growth for the organisations she’s worked with. Notably, she built a network of 150+ volunteers for a regional theatre, enhanced large-scale public events with supplementary programming, and supported Pan to expand its activities by over 60%, doubling its turnover within three years.
Joanna is deeply passionate about the transformative power of creativity to connect, heal, and empower communities. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to equity, disrupting power dynamics, and centering the voices of those the work is for.
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John is a founding member of Pan and has been the Artistic Director throughout its history. He is an actor, director, playwright, drama facilitator, writer and a university professor.
Originally a dancer and actor, he trained at Bristol University and the Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. International work has taken him across the globe and he has led training sessions and directed plays in more than a dozen countries.
Founding Pan led him to concentrate on using the Arts for Social Change in a multi ethnic society and the success of this led to invitations by various NGOs to deliver programmes to aid the rehabilitation of people affected by war, natural disaster, social injustice and poverty in many countries.
“I regularly write and teach on issues around interculturalism, creativity, playfulness and theatre for development both in the UK and abroad. Luckily I have an eclectic bunch of inspired colleagues who all make Pan the special place that it is today.
The Arts can Change Lives!”
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Zephryn Taitte, A gold arts award attainee and one of the co founders of Weapon of Choice now takes a back seat and marvels at the great work produced by the team. He looks forward to rejoining the team in a new capacity as a WOC trainee mentor.
In his early years he was selected by the British Council and Oval House theatre on a sponsored international trip for potential young leaders in the arts. Shortly after, in 2008, he worked with Pan as a participant and Young Leader in 'There Aint No Black In The Union Jack' at Hackney Empire.
He is a believer in performing arts being able to educate and inspire young people. There is a need in the community for greater opportunities for young people to express themselves in meaningful and creative ways, and so provide an alternative to some of the more negative behaviours teenagers can otherwise engage in.
You may also recognise him as Cyril Robinson from the BBC's Call the Midwife.
Sheyda is a facilitator and the camera woman behind a lot of Pan's films and photos over the years. Joining Fortune she immediately felt at home and eagerly acted and wrote for the group in many productions. She rose to be a Project Director with Fortune and founded our project - Papillon - for newly arrived young Afghan Women who had been brought to the UK after the fall of Kabul.
"I have seen the beauty of my work through different lenses. Like my camera, I like to focus on making changes in our participants' lives and hopefully make their blurry vision of the new place that they have to call home a little more focused and clear I know in Pan this can be achieved."
She herself is an example of such an achievement and this was recognised by Visa when they awarded her as one of the twenty most important refugee women working for communities in Europe.
She is sometimes called "Hedgehog". It's just a Pan nickname with a long story behind it, but others know her as Sheyda or the participant that never left!
Email Sheyda: [email protected]
Laura is a pianist and an Artist Facilitator and Accompanist for the Amies Freedom Choirs.
One of the things she loves the most about Amies is how the sessions enable a unique space for connection, creativity, and mutual learning, where everyone can be equally valued and heard. From her first day , she has felt part of a very welcoming, safe, supportive, kind and empowering family - it’s truly special.
Her role not only involves music-making, but also contributing to growing as a group, building self-confidence, promoting connection and a sense of belonging, facilitating the space for everyone’s self-expression and supporting their path in exploring their own creativity - always so exciting and inspiring!
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E is an actor and musician, releasing songs under the name “ Ezae”. He is the Project Director for Fortune, Pan's project working with young adult refugees and migrants and Project Director for Weapon of Choice's work in Bradby Youth Club. E was a participant in early Weapon of Choice days and has grown through the organisation be a great facilitator, leading workshops with young refugees and asylum seekers as well as for the Weapon of Choice programmes. He is also also a facilitator for Greenwich & Lewisham Young Peoples’ Theatre.
Email Emmanuel 'E' : [email protected]
Ehireme is the Project Director of the Weapon of Choice Theatre Project, a facilitator of the school residencies projects and the producer of the 'Pan Talks: Poetry Night' event.
He says :"I do this type of work because I want to give to the Pan participants what I never received when I was a young person. There are so many gaps that young people fall through and I'm doing my part to fill the voids that I can see in society. It's a passion!"
The WoC Theatre Projects and the WoC School Residencies projects do a plethora of things that improve the young peoples' lives. At the end of our projects young people notice an increase in their confidence. In addition, building their stage presence is a transferable skill that can be used with peers and adults. And finally, they start to believe that they can achieve whatever they want to! (Cliché, but true).
Ehireme is a performance poet and a published author of 'Points Of Contact' - a collection of poems highlighting experiences of young people and some of his own from adolescence to adulthood. The themes are; family dynamics, fatherhood, nature, the black experience and the relationship between the police and young black men.
"I like to use my skills of story telling and creative writing to support the work I do with the young people I work with."
Email Ehireme : [email protected]
Bruno is an actor, musician and facilitator. He is the leading artist and Project Director for all Weapon of Choice’s work in alternative provision.
He is an experienced practitioner with a passion for making sure young people are heard. He’s deeply committed to working with young people that have been excluded from mainstream education. Bruno has led residencies in pupil referral units such as Beachcroft AP Academy and Camden Centre for Learning for over 5 years.
He was at the forefront of WoC’s first venture into school residencies and has delivered projects in Haverstock School, Hampstead School, Acland Burghley, Saint Gabriel’s College and several workshops in The UCL Academy, Highbury Grove School, Sacred Heart School and City Heights.
Bruno never gives up on young people and believes that they all have potential to be successful leaders. He combines youth work values and principles, artistic excellence and a belief in all young people in his practice. Young people and colleagues love working with him.
He has experience training young people to facilitate support groups and believes in giving meaningful responsibility and experience to young leaders.
Email Bruno : [email protected]
Brie has a long association with Pan, having started as a work placement in our office. She then joined our WoC Theatre Group as a performer and also gained performance experience in other youth companies. Before long she was asking if she could learn facilitation skills and became a peer facilitator in WoC Theatre Project. And now she brings her skills to the WoC Residencies and to the Fortune Group.
Adwoa joined Pan as an actor/story-teller in its early days and has been linked with it ever since. She was instrumental in the growth of the Fortune group of young adult refugees and this led to her involvement in our work with female Survivors of Human Trafficking, co-founding the Amies group. As this developed, her training as a singer came into play and she became the Project Director of the Amies Choir (now the Amies Freedom Choir) for female survivors of trafficking which has had great success both as a means to empower the women and as a joyous performing group. Adwoa is also the Project Director for Amies London, a drama group for female survivors of trafficking.
Adwoa also works as a professional singer, having sung with the Royal Opera House, Sadlers Wells, Pegasus Opera, Chineke Orchestra, Grand Union Orchestra amongst others. She is also a session singer for Voquality Singers and often does solo work exploring Jamaican/Caribbean music.
Of her work with the Amies Project Adwoa says:
“I like to help the participants I work with recognise and strive to fulfil their potential. In Pan's Amies programme participants grow in confidence and realise they don't have to "settle" for a life that has been prescribed by the adversity they have faced in their lives. They feel that they can move beyond expectations, and make friendships in a supportive environment that last for years. The Amies choirs, as well as performing already written repertoire, work together to create their own music and have recently been involved in composing vocal music strands for an installation at the Freedom Festival in Hull based around the "Sirens" from Greek mythology which had a fantastic response from the audience."
Email Adwoa: [email protected]