Using applied theatre techniques, Imagine: Brave Spaces (Imagine) aims to create belonging across communities. One of the ways Imagine has been building hope and empathy in schools since 2018, is with an interactive forum theatre production titled Safa’s Story.

The play is based on the real story of a Zimbabwean-American girl who experiences bullying and racism as she enters the fifth grade in San Diego. Through the play’s interactive nature, students are encouraged to step into the roles of Safa and her friends to explore how they could change the outcome of the play, inspiring them to take agency in and stand up for themselves and others.  

The 8th season, which wrapped in November, reached nearly 3,000 3rd - 8th grade students and their teachers across San Diego County. Imagine Teaching Artists engaged youth in the concepts of being an upstander versus a bystander; practicing deep listening; expressing kindness and empathy; and developing cultural humility. During the play and through the pre and post lessons, students and teachers were given the opportunity to practice challenging conversations, learn skills to help them navigate conflict and build inclusive spaces. 

Before seeing the play, over 60% of surveyed students reported having personally experienced bullying (Fig. 1), with many students commenting that they related to Safa’s experience of being othered because of their race, physical appearance, or personal characteristics. 

After the play and lessons, nearly 90% of students shared they knew better about what to do if they are being bullied or if they witness someone else being bullied (Fig. 2). Students shared comments such as, “I learned that we need to tell people what we're going through at school,” “I learned that sometimes, to be a good friend, you just need to be there,” and “I learned to set boundaries and speak up if something's bothering me.” 

The most exciting result was the enthusiasm with which students quickly mobilized to protect, defend, and support the title character of Safa’s Story in the face of mistreatment.  In the words of one student, “Just because people look different or do different stuff does not mean they are not a person like you.” 

According to educators surveyed, over 92% of their students have displayed changes in their behavior and attitude as a direct result of experiencing Safa’s Story (Fig. 3). One educator shared that they “learned more about the struggles my students have faced. [The program] has helped me empathize with them and it strengthened our rapport.”  

Another commented that their “students are taking their actions more seriously towards their peers who they might not consider to be friends. They are more empathetic towards them and instead of bullying or teasing they are treating them with more kindness.” 

At a time when anxiety, division, and violence fill the news, the discoveries sparked by Safa’s Story are helping to create a more healthy, safe, and thriving world here in San Diego schools, one conversation at a time.

To learn more or support Imagine’s work, visit our website at imaginebravespaces.com