Dr Chan, Yuk-Lan Phoebe

Dr Chan, Yuk-Lan Phoebe had a vision that drama could open the minds of young people, awaken emotional intelligence, and unlock understanding.

Within the developing practice of applied theatre and drama education, Phoebe has become a guiding figure, forged a position of influence, and has received Griffith University’s 2023 Outstanding International Alumnus Award for Arts, Education and Law.

“Drama is much more than aesthetics and appreciating the arts,” Phoebe said.

“It is transformational and changes attitudes and thoughts about what’s happening around you.”

Instrumental in the development of several programs which deliver drama education workshops and train actor-teachers, Phoebe’s body of work has made a significant impact globally, and she is recognised as a pioneer in the drama education space as a teacher, published author, keynote speaker and theatre artist.

Phoebe was a key player in setting up Oxfam Hong Kong’s Interactive Education Centre and the design and implementation of drama workshops and performances in the centre. The initiative won a Gold Award in Arts Education from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Phoebe’s work at Oxfam Hong Kong, which also extended to Macau and Taiwan, used the interactive process of drama and storytelling to engage young people in a feedback loop that created meaning and facilitated understanding around global citizenship.

“I love stories and I love telling stories,” Phoebe said.

“They tell a lot of yourself, who you are, and what you believe in.”

“Through drama activities, students engage in active dialogues reflecting how they made sense of the messages within a story, then students can reflect on their own place and position within the world relationship.”

For instance, in one of her Theatre-in-Education works, students watched the actor-teachers perform a play, and then students discussed the connections and relationships between the characters during the workshop to understand how globalisation contributes to poverty and inequality in society.

This work became the inspiration for her PhD in Applied Theatre which she studied remotely with Griffith, and her thesis informed the profession of actor-teachers and discussed how previous personal experience and beliefs affect their approach to drama education practice.

Continuing a long relationship with Griffith, Phoebe was the first convenor for the Master of Applied Theatre and Drama Education Program which was jointly presented by Griffith University and Hong Kong Art School and was delivered in Brisbane and Hong Kong.

For ten years, the Master's program influenced practitioners, artists, teachers, and social workers who continue to drive the field of drama and applied theatre as a developing expertise.

The innovative process of combining drama and education in such a transformative way was a far cry from the traditional values of her upbringing, but Phoebe credits her parents for allowing her the freedom to pave her own path.

Born in Hong Kong, the middle child of six children, Phoebe was raised by hard-working parents who owned a Dai Pai Dong, an open-air street food stall.

Growing up, Phoebe helped at the family stall on weekends serving meals to industrial workers and said it was a typical modest upbringing in Hong Kong.

“My parents struggled to make ends meet and we lived in social housing with my five siblings, but I always felt really loved,” Phoebe said.

“I was the first in my family to have a university degree and my father was really proud.”

“He told everyone about his daughter getting a university degree.”

Phoebe said Hong Kong at that time was very business orientated and the drama industry was very small.

“I’ve always loved performance and performing, I sang in the choir and was in the drama club at school, but no one ever told me that drama could become my career,” she said.

So, despite her love for drama, Phoebe’s first degree was in Business Administration, but university broadened her horizons, and she chose to begin her career in arts administration which led her to freelance performing and teaching drama.

This opened the door to understanding the power of performing arts where the art of acting is only a small part.

“I realised it’s not all about me as the actor, it is also about the audience and making connections,” she said.

“Drama can serve society, serve education and particularly serve young people.”

Underpinned by a wealth of experience and knowledge gathered during her exciting career, Phoebe released a drama education professional development coaching program, Chan’s Applied Theatre Lab, which offers online courses and includes options for bilingual and subtitled accessibility, empowering educators of diverse cultures and abilities.