Written by Sarah Pengelly
Sarah has taught in London Primary schools for 12-years specialising in Literacy and PSHE, studied for an MA Educational Psychotherapy and previously worked at the BBC. For the past 5-years, she has been working with non-profit charity, Human Values Foundation, to develop a new values-led PSHE programme called The Big Think.
How can you make the work of DEI for organisations of all shapes and sizes itself feel inclusive and not a tick-box exercise?
That’s what I wanted to find out through Chickenshed’s 90-minute taster session for senior leaders, HR, DEI, and people-focused professionals.
I attended with my colleague Avanti from The Big Think, who facilitates life skills learning in schools in her other roles. We wanted to see how it applies to both our work at The Big Think as a values-based educational programme, and she wanted to examine her own facilitation practice.
Chickenshed? What’s that?
‘Chickenshed is a theatre company for absolutely everyone. For fifty years, we’ve created bold and beautiful work from our limitless belief in each other.’
With over 800 members of all ages and abilities, Chickenshed are able to invite to the table an unbelievable range of authentic voices, that most of us have never heard from, and that will deeply resonate with all of us.
As part of their outreach mission to help develop a genuine and active DEI journey for all workplaces, Chickenshed facilitate a bespoke package created for each setting or company. No mandatory one-size-fits-all diversity trainings.
‘The work of diversity and inclusion is never finished. It has to always be active and evolving to ensure shifting needs are being met and all voices are being heard.’ says Dave, the Senior Producer who is holding the space for this session.
This 90-minutes taster is described as a facilitated ‘experience’ to see how they approach DEI and how they could work with your organisation. This gently participatory and immersive session ensures that all participants are able to emotionally invest in the start of a personal journey to find belonging for all.
Our Purpose – to rediscover our humanity through joy and hope.
As a starting point, Dave shares this helpful re-framing of DEI. True inclusion is something that comes from ‘inside of us’, rather than something to be accommodated. Chickenshed use this framing, together with the power of the creative arts, to share personal stories that spark these hidden feelings inside all of us, so that everyone can begin to connect and belong.
Be accessible in all ways.
Another stand-out difference is their approach to accessibility. Strangely, this is often overlooked in many DEI sessions.
‘We aren’t just talking about practical accessibility like ramps, we are talking about emotional accessibility where everyone feels able to show their true selves all of the time,’ says Dave.
Slow down. Listen. I mean really hear.
We hear from Paul, who is introduced as having cerebral palsy that affects all movement, including his breathing. We are asked to give him the time he needs to speak, so he can pace his breathing with his speech. We are told his new wheelchair has extra squeaky foot-holds, so we will need to be patient and listen carefully to hear his words.
Paul performs his poem, Traffic Lights about what it feels like to be constantly held on red. His performance is rhythmic and powerful as he shows us the frustration of living in such a frenetic, fast paced world with little space for being really seen or heard. He is asking for a slowing of time, so that he has a chance of participating more fully or at least having the opportunity to move to amber, or maybe even green.
Get creative. Notice and nurture unique vision.
Interspersed between the powerful voices and perspective sharing, are short, fun, engaging tasks that involve image associations, and how we’ve felt included and/or excluded in physical spaces, and metaphorical ones. We aren’t required to get up and perform or overshare our views. It’s not a strategy session. It’s just the beginning of a journey of opening up to this important work, with some lightness and humour brought by Ashly, the lead facilitator and experienced actor.
We see a short film about Chickenshed Producer Maya highlighting intersectionality, using her walker whilst directing a large theatre company in a production.
‘I move differently and I see things differently. I get the actors to do the same.’
Keep it simple. Offer everyone a seat at the table.
Zack, a black actor and dancer with cerebral palsy, shares a free-form piece about the daily grind of being invisible via his travels on the London tube network. Days and days on repeat. It’s hard to hear. Then, the simplicity of a genuine offer of a seat, without any fuss.
‘Hey! You want a seat?’
He poses this question to all of us in the room, representing multiple roles and organisations: Would you give me a seat at the table?
A powerful question. An invitation. To all of us.
Chickenshed’s DEI work is done differently and it’s a joy to be a part of it. If you want your team to take part in a similar journey, then Chickenshed are the team to travel alongside you.
Course Information and Contact Details:
Designed for senior leaders, HR, DEI, and people-focused professionals, this session brings together individuals from a range of corporate organisations to explore how inclusive mindsets and empathetic communication can strengthen workplace culture.
Chickenshed have over 50 years of experience as an inclusive theatre company. Their training uses real stories, lived experiences, and reflective discussion to challenge assumptions and open up new perspectives.
This taster is an opportunity to experience the approach first-hand and consider how it might support wider conversations around inclusion in your organisation.
If you’re interested in finding out more, I’d be happy to connect with you:
Dave Carey: davec@chickenshed.org.uk
Mobile: 07846 097896