Legislative Theater

Welcome!

Now that you’ve determined that legislative theater is the right process for you, please complete the form below to create your Playbook account and start planning your participatory process! After completing this initial stage, you will have the opportunity to complete additional sets of questions for each stage of your legislative theater program.

Once you submit your form, you will be directed to a results page, where you will see a summary of your situation and next steps to build your playbook.

If you already have an account, log in to the Participation Playbook before completing the form. You will receive an email with a one-time link to direct you to your account dashboard. Can’t find the confirmation email in your inbox? Check your spam folder and tag the Playbook email address as non-spam.

Note that the information you provide in this form is for your planning purposes only and will not be shared with any third parties. We will also ask you for your email address, but rest assured that this is not for commercial purposes: It is so that you can access your personal playbook now and when you return to the website later.

Where will the legislative theater process be implemented?

The playbook content was designed primarily for local governments, though it should also be generally relevant for other levels of government.

What is your or your group’s role?

It is possible to collaborate in the implementation of a participatory process from different roles: advocating for the process as a representative of civil society organizations or within government, planning or designing as part of a government team, or as part of an independent group advising the government. Other people may be responsible for the implementation of the participatory process or for deciding to approve it, as is the case with elected officials. This playbook is intended for people who may be fulfilling any of these roles.

Have you already won approval to implement your program?
Do you want to build a playbook for an entire legislative theater process or specifically for one or more stages of a process (for example, problem identification or planning)?
Which stage(s) do you want guidance for?

Here’s a brief overview of what takes place during each stage:

Problem identification: Specify the problem your community is facing that you would like to address through legislative theater, identify the different roles and power dynamics between actors, and plan how you will advocate for a legislative theater process.

Planning: Answer key questions about the issues and how you will learn more about them, who will be involved in the process, what resources you’ll need, the process timeline, and how you’ll secure policymakers’ participation and commitment. 

Creation: Hold regular meetings with the community group to build a play, which is the central tool from which to develop policy ideas.

Public events: Plan the legislative theater sessions, where the public and policymakers will be invited to engage with the play and develop policy proposals to address the problem.

Policy follow-up: Follow up with the community actors, audience members, and policymakers.

Do you want to build a playbook for a legislative theater process that specifically addresses climate change, or for a process that addresses other issues?

Many cities and institutions are using legislative theater to engage people in addressing climate change and its effects. If you would like to address issues including climate change, extreme weather, the transition to renewable energy sources, water, air, and waste, then a climate legislative theater process could be a good fit for your situation. If you’re not sure, you can check out the Climate Democracy page for a description and global examples of climate legislative theater.

Do you want additional, personalized mentorship from an expert to help you complete your playbook?

Check our webpage to better understand the benefits of working with a mentor.

Your email will help you access your process in the future. We won't be using it for commercial purposes.