Implementing Readers Theatre as an arts-based participatory research method in exploring Asian-Canadian youth identities

This article provides an overview of our experiences implementing Readers Theatre within the study “Asian-Canadian youth identities in a pandemic era: Arts-based research”. Led by Dr. Nazilla Khanlou, Principal Investigator (PI), this research uses arts-based methodologies (visual arts and dramatic arts) to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian-Canadian youth identities (Khanlou et al., 2021). As part of the ongoing research, two virtual Readers Theatre workshops were conducted with 24 Asian-Canadian youth aged 16-24. The participants were divided into four groups of six youth and asked to create Readers Theatre scripts illuminating the impact of the pandemic on Asian-Canadian youth and their wellbeing. Preliminary findings from the virtual workshops highlighted mental health challenges, complex family dynamics, and the resilience of Asian-Canadian youth. The Readers Theatre scripts were rich in cultural references and personal narratives and facilitated meaningful dialogue among youth participants. This method proved effective in capturing the identities and experiences of Asian-Canadian youth during the pandemic, offering valuable insights for youth-centred practice, policy, and scholarship. Keywords: Arts-based methodologies, youth, identity, drama, Readers Theatre, COVID-19.