Transformative Theatre: Empowering Women’s Social Reintegration in Chilean Prisons through Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

The project seeks a contemplative theatre workshop for incarcerated women in Chile to enhance their social skills and facilitate their social reintegration. 30 Inmates from the Rancagua City penitentiary will engage in mindfulness techniques within theatre-based exercises. This approach aims to foster compassionate relationships with oneself and others, increasing empathy and ultimately reducing recidivism. The primary method utilized is the Mindfulness-Based Performer Training (MBPT), developed by Cristina Fuentes (project leader) in her doctoral studies. The MBPT is a psychophysical training that integrates mindfulness exercises with communication skill development. Additionally, elements from The Path of Freedom (Crisp & Maull, 2007) program will be incorporated to reinforce the development of empathy and self-compassion through contemplative theatre. The anticipated outcomes include -increased social skill confidence, -enhanced self-compassion -improved empathy -promotion of social reintegration -reduction of recidivism. This project is relevant to the Mind & Life community by making contemplative practices accessible to a marginalized population and fostering social change. In this way, the Transformative theatre methodology aims to contribute towards building a more just and compassionate society.