Issues raised by theater group see audience get in on the act

One of the institutions Galli Theater China has been working long term with is the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital. The theater provides a weekly workshop at the hospital's adolescent psychiatric ward.

According to Zhang Xin, co-founder of Galli Theater China, these workshops are a public welfare project of the theater, provided to teenage inpatients. Each session lasts around two hours, with less than 15 participants.

"With these theater education sessions, we encourage the teenagers to use their body more and connect with their subconscious while playing and performing," Zhang says.

"We are providing them with a space, giving them attention and freedom. After one or two sessions, they'll know that they really can express themselves with their words and movements, and be more willing to open up to adults."

The workshops at Huilongguan Hospital are the longest project carried out by Galli Theater China. In addition, they also provide similar public welfare services at schools for the children of migrant workers, rural primary schools and nursing homes.

Liu Huaqing, director of the clinical psychology department at Huilongguan Hospital, attended the event as a guest speaker.

According to Liu, many of the teenage behaviors, such as nonsuicidal self-injury, stem from a need for attention and support from their parents. Instead of seeking catharsis, some teenagers direct their negative energy inward.

"Galli Theater is helping them understand through performance. I'm really thankful for the benefit to the teenagers and their family brought by Gao and her team, and hope that the public welfare project will endure."