Meet The facilitator

Hi, I’m Brenna, the facilitator and sole proprietor of Embolden Creative Drama. I hold an Honours BA in Drama in Education and Community (with a Psych minor) and I have taught creative drama for more than 20 years.  I have also been passionate and creative in my role as a direct support professional over the last 13 years. I’m really excited about what Embolden Creative Drama has to offer – it’s a dream that has lived in my mind for a very long time.

I started teaching drama as a teenager and was amazed by the positive changes I saw in children when they engaged in theatre. I came to appreciate this even more as I studied how creative drama can be used as an effective teaching tool to promote positive transformation in individuals and communities. After graduating, I found myself drawn to work for people with intellectual disabilities and have been honoured to assist some fantastic people in their family homes, agency-supported homes, vocational and recreational programs.

My history with community creative drama work includes the creation of curriculum-connected puppetry workshops/performances in schools, a pre-primary creative drama program, devised theatre with children, and alongside an autistic friend – leading a drama group for young adults on the spectrum. While I worked as a direct support professional, because of my expertise and passion for creative drama, I kept noticing ways in which creative drama could benefit the people I worked for and with. I’ve had the occasional opportunity to test some of my ideas, each time receiving even more positive results than I ever anticipated. Over the years, these observations, ideas, and trials have evolved into what is now Embolden Creative Drama. All community members deserve the experiences and benefits creative drama can offer and I am overjoyed with the opportunity to be a part of it.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Embolden Creative Drama. I hope to meet you soon!

Brenna Shannon,

Embolden Creative Drama