Affinity Groups are spaces to talk and explore parts of your identity with a creative outlet run by artists who share the same identity. This could be from the core team or we would bring in freelancers to run the session

We are clear we are not therapists, this is a space to speak unfiltered and make work whether that be poem, rap, monologue, scenes, dance, art.

If you were interested in widening the scope in which your young people can speak about their lived experience of being a teenager and how that has an influence on the stories they tell and the way they are told this is an avenue to go down. 

Identity, depending on what it is and where you live can be harder to speak about then others, hard to see representation of it, harder to explore. All these things make it even more important to create a space for one to exist. 

When you identify these elements the second step is too offer the idea of the group to teh young people to see take up and interest.

Then it's important to use your wider youth theatre network and find freelancers who canfacilitate this space. 

Depending on your safeguarding policy at work, core team members can be on the premises but not in the room, and/or you could provide some training on your organisation's practice.

Ask to have a chat with the Artistic Director or creative team and explain the need for this space - see ‘Why should I set up an affinity group?’

Explain the importance in providing a safe space for the young people who for various reasons will filter their experience in mixed spaces, worry that things won't be understood, or not feel comfortable answering questions.

This is not about segregation permanently. Explain that it’s important for the young people in the group to be validated, understood, feel connected with shared experience and grow in confidence. They need to know that this part of their identity has its own story to tell and would benefit from developing the skills in telling it and unlearning what they would have shared it in the past (for a white lens/gaze).

The hope is that these stories then begin to bleed into other spaces, main groups, plays and sessions, making the work overall richer as well as providing a space for wider breadth of stories to be told, the way they are told and who they are told for.

Ask questions regularly about what the young people want from the space.

Listen and bring prompts or ask them to bring in their own prompts.

Look for shows and examples of representation in art for them to watch.

Ask what they want from the group - once achieved, ask if they want to continue or if the group has served its purpose.

Explain the reason for the group; it could be that you overheard discussion on this topic and want to provide space for the young people to explore further, or that situations in the world might mean this group could want a space like this right now.

Be clear about the parameters for the young people, for example: you can come and try it out, you don’t need to come to every session.

Explain the importance of representation in the theatre and of these spaces for the young people, their families, the stakeholders in their lives, the wider community, and - if you make a show/film/piece of art - for audiences to hear their stories.

At C3, we’re proud to be an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, receiving core funding to support our work over a four-year period. In addition to this vital support, we are grateful for the generosity of several Trusts and Foundations, including the Cripplegate Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Henry Smith Charity, Islington Council VCS, Lightbulb Trust, Mercers’ Charitable Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Tomoro Foundation, Tuxian, and Vogue World. You could look into those funders.

You explain in the beginning that the space isn’t for counselling and none of the staff are therapists. However, having staff share the same identity means what may feel like labour/ trauma to others is actually helpful to talk to in space like this. Many issues facing them would have been similar if not the same to issues experienced by adults who can shed a light on, advice, historical context, perspective. 

However, if an affinity group does get too heavy then you can bring in a wellbeing practitioner to hold space for that topic if it’s affecting lots of people in the group, or sign post individuals to professionals.

We don’t think any organisation should be persuading young people into doing things or joining a group they don’t want to. But if a young person wants to join an affinity group and their parents or guardian don't want them to, this is worth looking into. It may involve a conversation with parents or guardians to understand why it's a no.

It’s important that these spaces are about exploring identity through creativity with people who have shared experience, not about convincing anyone of a different perspective. For example, you might support a young person to explore what it's like being a Christian teenager or gay but not to do bible study or influence their sexuality or gender expression.

For LGBTQ+ groups, we were advised to explain what the group was about to parents (e.g. a space to creatively explore, understand and celebrate parts of your identity), while keeping it vague enough to not out anyone. 

See the games blueprint here.

You could also create new games with the group, with topics and themes connected to the group.

For our regular groups, once a month has always felt enough, but if working towards a show or sharing, then meeting once a week or your regular rehearsal pattern should work.

Some groups might only meet once or twice, depending on need and what is going on in the world.

Discuss with the whole group of young people that there are many things about ourselves we share with everyone. You could list what they are (e.g growing up in London, views on climate change, being a teenager), however there will be part of our lives that will connect specifically with others (e.g. race, culture, gender, religion).

To explore those in a comfortable way with others who direct lived experience can help when initially exploring stories and experience as you cut out the explanation, which can often make you feel self conscious and holds back the authenticity of the story.

It depends what identity the affinity group is for. At Company Three, it is 12+.

We have always been a youth-led organisation, so we do our best to make sure that our affinity groups come from one of two ways:

Observation
We’ll offer the opportunity of a group if we’ve noticed recurring identity-based conversations and creative ideas being talked about, joked about and discussed informally by young people during breaks, at lunch time, on the train ride to the theatre (what we call ‘Edgelands’). This is likely to come first if you’ve never had an affinity group before.

Directly
When our members ask for them. Once they understand what affinity groups are, and purpose of them, one young person or a collective may ask for one.

You explain in the beginning that the space isn’t for counselling and none of the staff are therapists. However having staff share the same identity means what may feel like labour/ trauma to others is actually helpful to talk to in space like this. Many issues facing them would have been similar if not the same to issues experienced by adults who can shed a light on, advice, historical context, perspective. 

The session should still feel similar to a regular session, except the themes and topics should connect directly to this affinity.

You could think about how you structure the session to allow for discussion of difficult topics but also joy. For example, if there have been heavy issues in the media, you could sandwich this as below:

Start with games
Then do a task
Give the heavy issue space, allow the young people to talk and vent
Then do a task based on this conversation - creating a poem, monologue, letter to future you, scene
Then find some joy/ hope and do some making and sharing from this
Play a game
Then check out

Make sure you can signpost members to further support if it’s necessary, ideally specialist, youth-focused, intersectional support relating to their identity.

You could also follow up and check in with the group or individuals over the week too.

However, if the space does get too heavy, you as the facilitator are feeling impacted as well, and wellbeing and mental health is being affected more than usual,  then you could take a pause. You could bring in a wellbeing practitioner to hold space to discuss for that topic.

See our four session plan examples for guidance, here.

But also ask the group what they want to do, what they need from the space, which reminding them it’s not a therapy session.

It’s much better to work towards having a creative output and communicating this from the beginning. The conversations should be an exercise in gathering material and the tasks should help them channel their thoughts into expression of art. Whether or not you share or stage the work you create is up to you and the group; there shouldn’t be pressure or obligation to do this.