Immersive theatre helps to heal tsunami’s scars

Polyglot Theatre helps traumatised children take control of their lives though play, by building a town out of cardboard boxes.

Polyglot’s We Built This Town in Minamisanriku. Photo by John Bailey.

In a practical demonstration of the healing power of art and imagination, children’s theatre company Polyglot have recently returned from the tsunami-ravaged town of Minamisanriku, in Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture, where their unique approach to theatre-making was embraced by the local community.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts