Forum Theater: The Dramatized Lecture That Changes Perspectives

A theatrical presentation designed to raise awareness among your teams about psychosocial risks and quality of life and working conditions by immersing them directly in real-world scenarios.

Forum theatre is an interactive intervention method: actors perform workplace situations that present challenges—such as stress, harassment, team tension, or burnout—and then the audience becomes an agent of change by stepping onto the stage to test alternative approaches.

At Qualisocial, this format is part of a comprehensive approach to psychosocial risk (PSR) prevention and maintaining mental health at work: each scene is facilitated by an occupational psychologist, ensuring that the emotions of the performance resonate with sound theoretical and regulatory insights.

Why choose a theatrical presentation over a traditional lecture?

A traditional lecture informs; a theatrical presentation leaves a lasting impression. By transforming your substantive topics into vivid experiences, it sparks a collective awareness that few other formats can achieve with a broad audience.

The messages become concrete

The skits performed by our actors depict real-life situations that everyone can relate to: abstraction gives way to scenes that immediately resonate with the audience.

Sensitive topics become accessible

The blend of theater, humor, and inspiring, well-reasoned insights makes it possible to address difficult topics—such as harassment, conflicts, and mental health—without putting the audience on the defensive.

The experience becomes lasting

What we experience leaves a deeper impression than what we hear: skits help messages stick in our memory long after the conference is over.

A Solid Theoretical Foundation Thanks to the Expert

Each skit is informed by an expert speaker: key figures, legal framework, best practices. The emotion of the performance and the rigor of the expertise complement each other throughout the session.

Participants involved in a participatory training activity

The theatrical presentation: a gateway to preventing psychosocial risks

At Qualisocial, mental health in the workplace is addressed on three levels: taking proactive measures to prevent psychosocial risks (audits, DUERP, QVCT surveys), raising awareness and training teams on a daily basis, and providing support in situations where conditions have already deteriorated (psychological support, mediation).

The theatrical presentation takes place at the very beginning of this process: it is often the first key event that establishes a broad-based common understanding, before moving on to more in-depth training or workshops. It makes sometimes abstract concepts accessible by bringing them to life through themes chosen in collaboration with you, such as:

Unlike an audit or mediation, this format acts before situations deteriorate, providing the team with the tools to recognize and defuse tensions before they become entrenched.

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The Flow of a Theatrical Presentation

Each session alternates between gameplay and expert commentary to gradually build the audience's understanding and engagement.

Opening: Introducing the Topic

A gallery of characters in street interviews (“icebreakers”) immerses the audience in the theme with poses that are sometimes provocative, sometimes spot-on. A positioning exercise then invites everyone to take a stance on a statement related to the topic: the participatory tone of the conference is established from the very first minutes.

The Heart of the Conference: Skits and Expert Insights

Actors perform skits illustrating problematic workplace situations. Each skit is followed by a presentation from the expert speaker, covering context, key figures, the legal framework, and best practices. Action and theory complement each other throughout the conference.

Closing: Summary and Discussion

The expert speaker concludes by tying together all the situations discussed, answers questions from the audience, and shares resources and actionable steps to take away.

Practical Details

Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours, up to 3–4 sessions per day

Format: In-person or remote

Participants: 50 to 300 people (depending on conditions: lecture hall, etc.)

Facilitators: 2 actors + 1 Qualisocial expert

At the end: distribution of training materials

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Our impact

They addressed mental health in the workplace A tangible impact

Discover the testimonials

“Even in the end, there can be meaning, dignity, and collective courage. A crisis does not reveal what a company does; it reveals what it is. Qualisocial has enabled us to support our employees and HR teams in this human and structured dimension.”

Nadia Ghodhban

Former HR Director at Jennyfer

“The combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, with a high level of quality in each program, is fully in line with the support we want to offer our employees. Qualisocial's great strength lies in its ability to combine expertise, human support, and concrete impact across the entire organization.”

Sylvie RECORBET

Head of Inclusion and Equal Opportunities, Health and QVCT, Allianz France

“Qualisocial supports SNCF Réseau in an innovative approach to mental health in the workplace: listening mechanisms, prevention of psychosocial risks, collective skills development, individual coaching, and digital tools to sustainably enhance the well-being, autonomy, and performance of teams.”

Anne Boucher

Head of Human Resources for National Industrial Technical Departments at SNCF Réseau

“We didn't want a top-down, theoretical training program. Qualisocial offered us a program combining different formats, alternating between content delivery, role-playing, and reflection time. It was a much more dynamic approach, better suited to our realities.”

Linda Breuillet

Head of Social Affairs, Terrena

“The solution offered by Qualisocial provides high-quality support, enabling Groupama to pursue its proactive commitment to promoting quality of life and working conditions and preventing psychosocial risks among employees. A notable feature of the solution deployed by Qualisocial is undoubtedly its agility and responsiveness. Needs are constantly changing, and it is essential to be able to count on a partner capable of supporting these transformations with flexibility and attentiveness.”

Bénédicte Créte-Dambricourt

Human Resources Director of the Groupama Group

“The psychological and social worker support hotline is, of course, anonymous. It gives us access to statistics, indicators, and trends, which we can ultimately use to implement concrete and meaningful action plans. So that really helps us a lot.”

Alba Sesma

Head of Quality of Life at Work, Diversity, and Inclusion

FAQS

Theatrical Presentation

What is a theatrical lecture?

An awareness-raising lecture in which actors perform skits depicting real-life situations, alternating with presentations by an expert speaker, to bring a topic to life and make it memorable for a broad audience.

What is the difference between a theatrical lecture and forum theater?

A theatrical lecture is an awareness-raising format for a large audience (up to 300 people), focused on conveying a message. Forum theater is an action-oriented training program for a small group (25 people), focused on the collective exploration of new practices.

Is the audience invited to come on stage?

No. The audience participates verbally (through discussions, taking positions, and asking questions), but it is the professional actors who perform the skits.

How many people can participate in a theatrical presentation?

Between 50 and 300 people, depending on the venue (amphitheater, plenary hall, etc.).

What topics can be covered in a theatrical conference?

Management, dealing with incivility, disability, managing emotions, conflict resolution, harassment, workplace safety and health (VSS), quality of life at work and psychosocial risks (QVCT/RPS), mental health, and other topics upon request.