Locked In : A Theatrical Dialogue on Healthcare and Homelessness
Locked In is the co-creation of zAmya and the Twin Cities chapter of EqualHealth’s Campaign Against Racism (CAR), a global movement of health workers organizing to dismantle structural racism in healthcare.
In 2019, zAmya and CAR engaged in a series of solidarity conversations. These conversations gave birth to a new theatrical piece entitled Locked In: Theatrical Dialogue on Healthcare and Homelessness. This performance consists of two scenarios that examine the criminalization of homelessness and addiction. In each, audience members witness an encounter between doctor and patient. Within the scenes there are clear points of misunderstanding, mistrust and bias.
zAmya facilitates the audience to become part of the performance, changing what happens with their own ideas of what they’d like to see. In between presenting new versions of the scene, we discuss what changed and why, if the change was system or short term, and if the change was practical or not. These conversations plant seeds in the minds of today’s healthcare practitioners and tomorrow’s leaders in training.
As the project evolves, we plan to deepen our collaborative work by growing our community of storytellers.
Upcoming events
Renowned theatrical director Adrian Jackson, founder of Cardboard Citizens in London, is coming to the Twin Cities for a one-month artist residency with zAmya in May 2024. As part of this residency, we’re offering the following public events:
May 3 - 5 : Forum and Legislative Theater Training
A three-day training led by Adrian Jackson. We’ll use exercises and games designed to elicit stories, information and ideas that help us analyze and interrupt harm that our current systems of healthcare and housing reproduce.
Who has the power? How do we shift it? Have fun while we imagine breaking free from the current unjust conditions.
**Tickets are going FAST*** If we sell out in advance online: we’re holding 5 spots for walk ups on the first day. Come to the venue at 5:30pm and try to get one of those, and/or join a waiting list. We’ll start releasing reserved tickets to the waiting list at the 6pm start time if ticket owners haven’t claimed them yet.
May 28 : Locked In : Care-fully Breaking Free *with ASL interpretation*
Based on content developed during the training at the top of the month, we’ll present a new, 25-minute, Forum Theater play that investigates systems of care both inside and outside the systems of public health and housing. This event is designed to offer an interactive and healing space for community members and policy makers to work across ideological divides and engage in transformative change through generating solutions.
>>> Complete information and registration information for both events is here. <<<
About our partner
Campaign Against Racism (CAR) is dedicated to dismantling structural racism and its effects on health by supporting local actions to improve the health and lives of those most affected by racism. Our partnership with CAR started with CAR folks attending one of our shows and inquiring about a collaboration.
One of our partners from CAR is Mike Westerhaus. Mike is also a primary care clinician, educator, Program Director for the BRIDGE program, and a founding member of the Social Medicine Consortium. We asked Mike to share what feels important about the artistic process of zAmya and CAR working together to write Locked In.
“The process was very powerful. As a clinician, it served to counteract burnout. It created a sense of re-energization. I loved coming together and moving and building relationships. Sharing stories felt very meaningful. Co-creating, felt authentic - we were drawing off our own stories and experiences.”
See how it works
This trailer is based on a performance of Locked In on May 18th, 2022 at the Minneapolis Central Library.
Director / Sound Capture : Owen Brafford
Camera : Max Sjoberg
Editor : Jill Zimmerman
Technical support & camera rentals : Line Break Media
"Rehearsal for Revolution" is a short documentary about Locked In, created by Prasanna Vankina as part of the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network’s “Doc U 2023” cohort.
From past shows
