On the evening of Tuesday April 2nd OM staged a mock mediation at the offices of Blake Morgan in Oxford. The event, which was hosted in association with the Oxford Construction Group, was attended by experienced mediators as well as those new to mediation. The role play involved a dispute between shareholders in a company, Get A Grip Ltd, supplying high class door handles! Due to personal differences, the two shareholders have reached an impasse causing the business to suffer. Each wants to buy the other out.

The role play takes the audience through all the stages of the mediation, with OM members playing the roles of mediator, disputants and legal representative. To inform the audience, a commentator (also an OM member and experienced mediator) pauses the mediation at regular intervals to explain the process and draw out the significance of what is happening and being said. The role play ended with a Q & A session which generated some interesting questions, discussion and observations. The evening was a great success with feedback that this was an excellent way to learn more about mediation.

OM will be presenting its next Mediation Theatre in early October. Details will be published on our website in due course. In the meantime, thank you to all those who attended on 2 April.