Ella Peterman Email and Phone Number

"I could have won a BAFTA for that!"The concept of drama workshops can often be met with hostility or passivity. Oftentimes, drama can be viewed as elitist: only applicable to those who were born possessing extroverted jazz hands and fluent in Shakespeare’s prose. However, when drama is facilitated well, it has such remarkable potential to shape and empower an individual and group.An event demonstrating just this was my early drama facilitation work within HMP Manchester (Notoriously known as Strangeways). On Day 1, a participant arrived defiantly telling the room, “I ain’t doing no drama”.My fellow facilitators and I worked hard with this group, transforming the room into a fun, safe and creative space where participants could express themselves freely and uniquely. After taking part in a week of drama and well-being workshops, this same participant presented a co-devised story with fellow inmates to an audience. This same participant proudly stated, “I could have won a BAFTA for that!” I co-founded my drama company Tie-Dye Drama in 2014. Tie-Dye Drama works with charities, councils, mainstream and specialist schools. We are committed to using drama as a tool to boost young people's well-being.