Playing it Safer: Applied Drama as a means of reducing barriers to LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports and education environments

Abstract

In a context where more than 40% of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the UK are estimated to avoid sports due to experiences of discrimination, with disengagement closely linked to negative experiences during physical education at school, the ability of specifically LGBTQIA+-oriented sports clubs to buck this trend and create vibrant inclusive sporting communities across the country warrants both celebration and investigation. Safer, a new play centred on the experiences of the recently formed Hull Roundheads ‘gay and inclusive’ rugby club, has been part of such an investigation led by a creative research team at the University of Hull (England) since 2022. This paper reports on the use of Safer and Applied Drama workshops in schools and colleges in the Hull and Humber region as a highly effective means of amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+ youth and supporting educational environments in improving their understanding and capacity to be inclusive in sports settings and beyond.