Following the themes of change that emerged from Lincoln’s Poverty Truth Commission (2023-2025), commissioners are coming together to offer ideas to redesign the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) welfare system.
Using Legislative Theatre, commissioners will bring individuals and representatives from across the existing system together to show the true impact of PIP and invite participants to design a new system that looks to answer both of the following questions:
- How do we reduce the rising and unsustainable costs of the welfare system?
- How do we ensure the most vulnerable get what they need when they need it?
Event Details:
Where: Thursday 4th June 2026
Time: 9:30am-4:30pm (estimated finish time- will be confirmed by email before the event)
Venue: The Engine Shed, University of Lincoln Brayford Campus, Lincoln
Refreshments: Lunch will be provided and refreshments will be available throughout the day.
Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible and there will be a quiet space for anyone who needs to step away from the main event areas.
How Can I Get Involved?
Lincoln Poverty Truth Commissioners are looking for people from all parts of the existing PIP system to take part, including:
- Ministerial teams
- Government departments (such as the Department for Work and Pensions)
- PIP assessors and case workers
- Professionals involved in the appeal and tribunal process
- Financial and debt advisers
- Welfare and health advisers
- Community leaders and champions
- People with good and bad experience of accessing or claiming PIP in the last 3 years
Please register here
If money is a barrier to you taking part, please email us to discuss support available.
What Is Legislative Theatre?
Legislative Theatre is community based and is part of the Theatre Of The Oppressed approach developed by Brazilian theatre director, producer and playwright Augusto Boal.
It is a participatory process which focuses on bringing together citizens and policy and decision makers to explore issues that matter to them. They enact scenes of social justice in order to reimagine an equitable and just future for all which has systems change at its heart.
The Legislative Theatre process follows 4 steps:
- Watch
- Act
- Propose and
- Vote.
What Will The Legislative Theatre Process Be Like In Lincoln?
Citizens who are on PIP will perform a play highlighting current problems with the PIP system. Audience members will then be encouraged to intervene in the action and offering alternative solutions to policies.
These ideas will then be discussed and debated among the audience members and decision-makers present at the event.
Finally everyone will vote on the ideas to take forward, and decision makers will then make commitments to take concrete action.
What is learned during this process of bringing Legislative Theatre to Lincoln will be shared publicly with the Timms Review and on our website.
Vicky Henderson, project lead for this stream of transformation work, says “I am very excited to be bringing such an important event to Lincoln and potentially contribute to the Timms Review and influence national policy. We have been building towards this work for a while, and it is amazing to see this coming together in such a creative and collaborative way.”
Find out more about Legislative Theatre here
Storytelling:
Alongside the main Legislative Theatre event, commissioners will be collecting stories of those with lived experience of claiming PIP, or of the PIP claim process and showcasing them through creative media and art exhibits.
Charlotte Brooks, Poverty Truth Coordinator, says: “Capturing individual stories will be done collectively and sensitively in “disclosure free” workshops prior to the event. They will be anonymous and confidential and created using different tools that will be fun, reflective and interactive. This is your chance to get heard!”
About The Lincoln Poverty Truth Commission:
The Lincoln Poverty Truth Commission is made up of people who have lived experience of poverty and struggle and civic partners who are passionate about changing the systems that are no longer serving communities.
Get In Touch:
If you want to know more, wish to join our event, have a story to tell, offer support in any capacity or be kept in the loop in any way, please email Lincoln@localmotion.org.uk or call/message 07736 900 332.