Instinctive Theatre
What is it?
Instinctive Theater is a multi-step process that combines community-based research with devised performance. The goal is not entertainment. The goal is truth-telling, relationship-building, and the reclamation of story as a tool for justice and inquiry.
The process includes:
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Framing a research question through conversation with the community
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Conducting interviews or story circles rooted in real-world stakes
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Building short theatrical forms that reflect the lived experiences shared
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Facilitating public performance and audience engagement as part of the research process
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Documenting outcomes for strategic use or collective action
This methodology is especially useful for research projects focused on harm, liberation, displacement, memory, or institutional change. It offers a pathway for ethically collecting stories and using performance as a tool for analysis and action.
How We Work.
Each Instinctive Theater process begins with an invitation from a community or institution. From there, we work together to:
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Identify local partners, researchers, and artists
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Design a scope and timeline that reflects the purpose of the project
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Build an ensemble and host training sessions
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Engage with community storytellers
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Share the work in safe public settings
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Archive outcomes in a format that protects community ownership
We prioritize care, access, and clarity at every stage of the process.
Who It’s For.
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Community organizers and coalitions
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Artists leading site-specific or issue-based work
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Researchers committed to anti-extractive models
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Institutions seeking new tools for public engagement or internal inquiry
Learn More.
If you are curious about bringing Instinctive Theater to your project, or if you want to be trained in the methodology, we offer facilitation, consulting, and full process design.
