Volunteer wrap! - Ixi Ávila

My name is Ixi Ávila and I am a Spanish Theatre Practitioner who recently volunteered with Milk Crate Theatre! I studied in The UK, where I developed an interest and aptitude in participatory theatre; specifically, the Theatre of the Oppressed and its modality; Forum Theatre.

During my studies I was inspired by and got involved with Cardboard Citizens in London, so as soon as I bought tickets to Australia I started looking for similar companies based in Oz. Milk Crate ended up at the top of my list! My dream was to volunteer with them, and it came true! In April I had the chance to get involved with Milk Crate as a volunteer Support Artist. I was lucky to be part of a beautiful play about depression called ‘That’s the Spirit’.

I loved the whole experience, from the first meeting to the moment of truth: Performance Time. Since the very beginning Kay, the director explained to me that Milk Crate was not following the rules of Forum Theatre strictly, I personally think that this kind of theatre is meant to be flexible and that is what Augusto Boal would have liked: A theatre that adapts to its time and social environment. The director Kay was so sensitive and was able to adapt this modality in an impressive way, she truly knew how to let vulnerability and creativity engage and flow in the same space.

I am so grateful for all that I have learnt. Thankful to all the participants for their courage and passion, they taught me that showing up with a smile is what counts most, and that the moment of truth is not the performance but the process in itself. I would love to publicly thank Milk Crate for choosing to create awareness and normalise talking about mental health issues. I believe theatre is a powerful healing tool when used for what really matters and I think Milk Crate Theatre knows how to turn the lights on in dark spaces. Comedy = Tragedy + Time! Long Live Milk Crate! Thanks! Ixi