Playbuilding as reflexive practice: Exploring implicit bias through participatory theatre

Authors

Keywords:

Implicit bias, Playbuilding, Research-based theatre, Health sciences, Reflective practice, Reflexive practice, Education

Abstract

Implicit bias education in the health sciences is crucial for disrupting the individual and systemic oppressive values that contribute to inequitable access to healthcare. In short, implicit bias can kill. Through a Playbuilding approach, dramatic vignettes on implicit bias were shown to undergraduate health science students in a performance workshop entitled Haunting our Biases: Using Participatory Theatre to Interrupt Implicit Bias. Through Forum Theatre, the vignettes were explored, discussed, and re-made. Three project members reflect on their roles, discussing Playbuilding, pedagogical potential, and the process of developing assessments of the project’s efficacy. Conclusions are offered on the reflexive impact of the Playbuilding process and the potential for growth, for both researchers and participants, that can emanate from such work.

Author Biographies

Michael M. Metz, Brock University

is artist director of Mirror Theatre and a drama educator that has taught at post-secondary, secondary, and elementary levels. He is a doctoral student the in Faculty of Education at Brock University.

Kevin Hobbs, Western University

is president of Mirror Theatre, and a post-secondary Applied Theatre educator and researcher. He is a doctoral candidate in curriculum studies at Western University. 

Nadia Ganesh, Brock University

is a Vanier scholar and PhD student at Brock University specializing in prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. In addition to being a member of Brock’s President’s Advisory Committee for Human Rights, Equity, and Decolonization, she is a board member of Mirror Theatre and Carousel Players. 

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Published

2025-05-31

How to Cite

Metz, M. M., Hobbs, K., & Ganesh, N. (2025). Playbuilding as reflexive practice: Exploring implicit bias through participatory theatre. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 59(1), 131–152. Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/10201