The Score

STEP 1 ‌

The ‘kick-off’ performance of The Score: “A short play with big energy
about footy, friends, dancing and hookups” (Ilbijerri n.d.) follows the adventures of
two protagonists, Sam and Billy, as they navigate the after party of the local football
carnival. Running for only seven minutes, the play is facilitated by the ‘Coach’ who
acts as an intermediary between the action on stage and the audience, facilitating
dialogue around the issues raised. The kick-off performance acts as a hook to draw in
young people so that they then hopefully sign up for the residency that follows.

STEP 2

A workshop residency that invites young people in the community to
unpack the issues surfaced by the kick-off performance through yarning, drama, and
experiential methods. Through the residency, young people are also rehearsed into the
The Score and invited to contribute their own characters, perspectives, and approaches
to the performance. Some of this work takes place through a culturally safe frame of
gendered yarning circles, where men’s business, women’s business, and ‘rainbow’ (or
gender diverse) business can be discussed in a closed circle before returning to the
whole group.

STEP 3

A ‘grand final’ performance where the young participants perform The
Score alongside the ensemble to an audience of invited friends, family, and
community members. This is again facilitated by the Coach, who invites responses
from the audience around the barriers and enablers to sexual health in their
community.

STEP 4

Members of the team and ensemble train up local professionals in health
and social care to use the theatre-based and experiential methods featured in the
model and adapt them for their own needs and purposes.

ILBIJERRI’s participatory theatre model pushes our social impact work further by centering the work on participants’ stories and experiences, giving community members ownership over material being explored, and agency in discovering culturally safe ways to reduce stigma and address health. Our methodology privileges Indigenous knowledges and cultural values, emphasising the cultural determinants of health in addressing best practice in public health.

ILBIJERRI is working closely with The University of Melbourne Dean’s Research Fellow (Dr Sarah Woodland) and the Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health to track our progress. Dr Woodland’s research addresses gaps in evidence, program design, and research evaluation methodologies for effective health promotion and education among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. This research partnership has the capacity to inform current strategies being developed at Federal and State level for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, with potential to influence public health and related policy settings.