Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

About: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Political theatre & Queer. The organization has 57 authors who have published 94 publications receiving 332 citations. The organization is also known as: CSSD & The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art.

BRIGHTLIGHT researchers as ‘dramaturgs’: creating There is a Light from complex research data

Abstract: BRIGHTLIGHT is a national evaluation of cancer services for young people aged 13–24 years in England. It is a mixed methods study with six interlinked studies aiming to answer the question: do specialist cancer services for teenagers and young adults add value? http://www.brightlightstudy.com/ . Young people have been integral to study development and management, working as co-researchers, consultants and collaborators throughout. We aimed to share results in a way that was meaningful to young people, the public, and multidisciplinary professionals. This paper reports the development of ‘There is a Light: BRIGHTLIGHT’, a theatrical interpretation of study results by young people, and offers insight into the impact on the cast, researchers and audiences. The BRIGHTLIGHT team collaborated with Contact Young Company, a youth theatre group in Manchester. Twenty members of Contact Young Company and four young people with cancer worked together over an eight-week period during which BRIGHTLIGHT results were shared along with explanations of cancer, healthcare policy and models of care in interactive workshops. Through their interpretation, the cast developed the script for the performance. The impact of the process and performance on the cast was evaluated through video diaries. The research team completed reflective diaries and audiences completed a survey. ‘There is a Light’ contained five acts and lasted just over an hour. It played 11 performances in six cities in the United Kingdom, to approximately 1377 people. After nine performances, a 30-min talk-back between members of the cast, creative team, an expert healthcare professional, and the audience was conducted, which was attended by at least half the audience. Analysis of cast diaries identified six themes: initial anxieties; personal development; connections; cancer in young people; personal impact; interacting with professionals. The cast developed strong trusting relationships with the team. Professionals stated they felt part of the process rather than sitting on the periphery sharing results. Both professional and lay audiences described the performance as meaningful and understandable. Feedback was particularly positive from those who had experienced cancer themselves. Using theatre to present research enabled BRIGHTLIGHT results to be accessible to a larger, more diverse audience.

Applied theatre from a Southern African perspective: a dialogue

Abstract: This is an edited transcript of a conversation between Kat Low and Munyaradzi Chatikobo, (Chati), who is the Funding and Partnership Manager for Drama For Life, an academic and community engagement programme. Kat was interested in Chati's perspective on where applied theatre is located in a South African context. The conversation took place in 2014.

The Verbatim Formula: Caring for Care Leavers in the Neoliberal University

Abstract: British universities have historically excluded sections of society from entering and from participating in decision-making. The neoliberal university has entrenched these inequalities in insidious...

The Boy in the Dress: queering Mantle of the Expert

Abstract: In this paper I offer a queer analysis of several key moments during a Mantle of the Expert (MoE) project that resulted in Year 5 children creating performances and engaging with heightened versions of gendered femininity in their primary school. I will refer to theoretical notions of transvestism as a means of challenging the notions of binarism, and the categories of female and male and thus ask if MoE can indeed disrupt the notion of universal meanings often found within its form.

Streets, bridges, cul-de-sacs, and dreams: does inviting shelter dwelling youth to work with culture industry professionals engender a sense of ‘cruel optimism’?

Abstract: This paper examines a New York-based project, Crossing Bridges, that brings together 15 sex-trafficked and homeless young people and 15 award winning Broadway artists to create theatre together. Th...