About
Faye Brightman, is a drama facilitator from West Wales. She has been involved with theatre her entire life, starting out with her local theatre group in 2008.
She studied performing arts at Coleg Ceredigion in Aberystwyth, where she developed many of her performance skills, which she still utilises in her work today.
In 2023, she graduated with a 1st Class honours degree in Applied Drama: Education, Wellbeing, Community, at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, where she developed many of her facilitation skills.
During her time at university, she undertook projects which worked with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, with her most notable project working with members of the transgender community, exploring transgender representation in television and film.
Faye is currently engaging the young people of West Wales through fun and creative drama sessions. She is also working with Small World Theatre, assisting in running their junior youth theatre and their project GLOW.
‘‘Although I am not currently running any work with the queer and trans+ communities, I fully intend to return to this work again. I believe it is so important to create safe spaces within theatre where queer and trans+ people can explore and experiment without fear of being judged’’
Wo-Manifesto
As a drama practitioner, I aim to help people through this medium. I believe that drama can be beneficial for everyone, people just have to be open to the possibility of change.
I promote a healthy and safe space within my practice and when I meet with a new group of participants, we create an agreement that focuses on setting boundaries to keep everyone safe and observe safety throughout the ongoing sessions.
My work involves letting people explore, using drama as a tool; allowing them to let go and possibility discover something new about themselves. This is done through explorative exercises, namely creative writing, improvisational acting, and lots of discussion. However, I also want to allow participants to have the time to play and be free without a set agenda, as sometimes that is all individuals need to help to express themselves and gain confidence. As Popovic (2017) states: ‘Play allows us to get the confidence by doing unexpected things’.
I have many inspirations for my practice; specifically, climate change, gender identity and sexuality. However, there is one individual practitioner whose work inspires me. The work of Brazilian theatre director and dramatist, Augusto Boal, has been influential in my own development and refinement of my practice. Specifically, his work with his arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed, which works with individuals who are being exploited, or unseen, and allowing them to express their frustrations - showing these issues through drama.
I have many ways in which I want to use drama, my ultimate passion is to work with the transgender community. Being a trans woman myself, I understand some of the barriers transgender people face within the theatre industry. Notably, trans women being typecast as more masculine characters, to trans men not being cast at all. I want to make drama and theatre a space where transgender people are free to explore, experiment, and feel safe. I also want to create a space for transgender youth, which could help them to discover and build confidence in who they are. I intend to do this by planning multiple projects catered to the needs of transgender people. For example, a series of workshops where participants are free to join in and explore, along with a forum theatre project with the aim of elevating their struggles and frustrations to an audience.
My end goal is to create theatre and drama that will inspire people to make change in the world, either by making theatre more inclusive and accessible, or using drama to tell the stories of those in need; thus, amplifying issues in their communities and to address them to people who will step-up and support their cause.