In this experiential workshop, Evan Hastings will introduce his Shadow Liberation method of facilitating sexual violence prevention, with a focus on embodied shadow play. You'll engage with embodied practices to examine gender-based violence through an intersectional, culturally attuned lens. Through an inspiring narrative of arts practice, weaving theory and personal experience, Evan's vivid case examples bring the work to life.

Learn to use shadows to safely navigate taboo and traumatic material, crafting visual stories that hold aesthetic distance while fostering critical reflection. Walk away with practical tools to integrate this method into your practice, community, or classroom, supporting personal and collective transformation.

About Shadow Liberation

Shadow Liberation is a groundbreaking approach that blends the power of Theatre of the Oppressed, Drama Therapy, and Shadow Theatre to address the complex issue of gender-based violence. Developed by Evan Hastings, this method actively engages audiences in nuanced dialogue and inspires action towards addressing gender-based violence.

The key to Shadow Liberation lies in its ability to balance the concrete representations of interpersonal conflicts with the abstract, metaphoric language of shadows. This integration of the rational and the emotional creates a powerful framing for audience participation, where participants are invited to step onto the stage and offer improvisational interventions, in the tradition of Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre.

Shadow Liberation has been adapted to diverse cultural contexts, always maintaining an intersectional lens while investigating the dynamics of trauma caused by gender violence. The method moves beyond individual perpetrator scapegoating to identify the underlying systemic causes of interpersonal and structural violence.

About Evan Hastings

Evan has a passion for turning pain into medicine through theatre. He is the Founder of Shadow Liberation and a Professional Member of ANZACATA. He has an MA in Counselling Psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA and a BA in Performance Education from the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA.

This event is for Adults (18+) only.

It is particularly suitable for health professionals and therapeutic practitioners.

Please make a considered choice when booking this event as it offers an approach to sexual violence prevention.