Yaxin (Iris) Wang

Profile

I have a background in theatre practice, theatre studies, community engaged theatre and applied theatre. My research and practice centre on exploring how theatre can be a tool for social intervention and social change. My current research focuses on how practices of verbatim co-creation can foster a hybrid dynamic space that cultivates a cultural ecology to resist online misogyny. Through workshops and performances, I experiment with embodied storytelling, verbatim co-creation and collective narrative-making, aiming to empower women’s voices in both online and offline spaces.

I hold an undergraduate degree in Theatre Education, where I gained a solid foundation in theatre history, theory, and practice. During this time, I explored Western and Chinese theatre traditions, studied directing, applied theatre, and contemporary art education, and actively engaged in practical theatre-making. I later pursued a master’s degree at the University of Glasgow, focusing on theatre as a tool for addressing social issues and practice-as-research (PaR). My work included:

• Educational theatre for refugees, particularly in addressing language learning barriers.
• Immersive digital experience workshops, exploring the identity issues of international students through performance.

Over the years, I have led and facilitated numerous theatre workshops for participants of different age groups, working on:

• Forum Theatre and Theatre-in-Education (TIE) projects, addressing contemporary social issues through performance.
• Drama education for children with disabilities.
• Drama therapy workshops, including playback theatre for young people processing personal and collective trauma.

Additionally, I have been a creator and performer in documentary theatre projects. My engagement with minority groups and social organisations since my undergraduate years has further shaped my understanding of theatre as a tool for social change.

Research interests

• Verbatim Co-Creation & Participatory Performance
• Feminist Applied Theatre Practice
• Community Engaged Theatre
• Theatre for Social Change
• Theatre In Education (TIE) and Drama In Education (DIE)