Jikijela is currently pursuing a dual approach to its work by taking its skills into the community with 'The Jikijela Project'. It is dedicated to working in areas of social disadvantage, particularly with young people. It draws on the skills of its highly trained staff in this area, to deliver programmes that are based on Boal’s methods of theatre of the oppressed and forum theatre. Participants engage in a process of personal development and empowerment to become the ‘protagonists of their own lives’ (Boal), thereby addressing and finding skills to overcome the daily struggles inherent in living with social deprivation and exclusion.  

Jikijela is due to begin two exciting programmes on Difference and Exclusion for boys aged 10-20 years with Stoneybatter Youth Service. A workshop entitled ‘Feeling vulnerable in Society’ is to be held for various partners from the health and social services sector. This will include some of the organizations that represent clients that are HIV positive, and have drugs and alcohol and other related social issues. It follows a pilot peer education project that was run in 2005-6 for Dublin AIDS Alliance called Dalliance that successfully explored HIV, sexual health and drugs awareness with teenagers from Dublin’s North Inner City, culminating in a theatre production of ‘Bang On’ in Liberty Hall in June 2006.  

The Jikijela Project is working with the HSE on the second phase of the Cork Theatre Forum Project, following the successful delivery of the first phase in May 2006 and with the Sexual Health Centre in Cork on a programme about crisis pregnancy in teenagers.