Workshop 7:
How to Make a Diverse Young Audience Feel at Ease in Your Theatre

Joanna Mandalian

This interactive workshop introduces practical tools and rituals to help artists and cultural institutions create inclusive, welcoming spaces for young audiences with a strong focus on diversity, participation, and equity. Objectives and Approach Participants will explore artistic improvisation techniques to gauge and express their sense of contentment. Through various modes of expression, we will examine dimensions of comfort and belonging while identifying the creative possibilities—and limitations—of artistic audience research.

The workshop is built around dynamic feedback loops. By addressing participants’ evolving needs, perspectives, and desires in real time, the session evolves based on collective input. This participatory approach mirrors the principles needed to genuinely engage diverse audiences in theatre spaces. Together, we will ask:
How can we align individual needs and collective goals in creative environments?
What structural changes are necessary to make theatre more inclusive and accessible for young audiences?

Participants will:

• reflect on their internalised biases, such as adultism, and examine how these influence their perceptions of young audiences.
• experiment with practical tools for fostering authentic dialogue and collaboration with young people from diverse backgrounds.
• explore strategies to create spaces that are welcoming and responsive to audience needs while fostering meaningful co-creation.

By shifting the focus from imagined audience projections to real-world interaction, cultural workers can gain nuanced insights into the experiences and expectations of their audiences. These insights can inspire thoughtful, long-term changes in artistic and organisational practices.