Showing papers in "Ride-the Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance in 1996"
TL;DR: The authors argue that catharsis is more accurately viewed as a process of cognitive illumination through the emotions rather than as one of purgation or political repression, and propose that Beckerman's theory of iconic and dialectic action presents us with a perspective of moral engagement in drama which permits teachers to be informed by Brecht, Boal and Aristotle.
Abstract: In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Aristotelian or neo‐Aristotelian theory within the field of the human sciences. This article is an attempt to begin a reassessment of whether such an interest is appropriate for drama teachers. It begins with a critique of the objections to Aristotelian theatre raised by Brecht and Boal, two of the theorists who most influence educational drama. It proceeds to focus upon the cognitive nature of emotion and, in particular, upon how this relationship can inform our understanding of catharsis. Drawing upon the work, of Martha Nussbaum, I argue that catharsis is more accurately viewed as a process of cognitive illumination through the emotions rather than as one of purgation or political repression. Reflecting upon the significance of this for drama teachers, I propose that Beckerman's theory of iconic and dialectic action presents us with a perspective of moral engagement in drama which permits teachers to be informed by Brecht, Boal and Aristotle.
39 citations
TL;DR: The body is the pre-eminent form of representation in drama education as mentioned in this paper, and the body combines and orchestrates the communicative resources of speech, gesture, posture, relative positions of one body to another.
Abstract: Despite the fact that drama education relies on bodies and the body as the main means and form of mediation, there is very little in theories and ideas around drama in education which raises the body as an object of study and as a problem. This paper is concerned with raising some questions about the body in the theory and practice of drama education. In drama classrooms the body is the pre‐eminent form of representation. The ‘scripts’ of improvised drama are formed and inscribed in and by the individual and social bodies of the drama student. The body combines and orchestrates the communicative resources of speech, gesture and act. How can we begin to describe learning processes in terms of what the body signifies through speech, gesture, posture, relative positions of one body to another? In an age where there is global trade in televised bodies in places where the classroom is populated by bodies of learners who are formed in diverse cultural backgrounds, what kinds of learning happen when the...
25 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a clear, structured account of drama as an agent for changing behaviours in the educational situation, and is an innovatory drama programme which has a universal appeal and can be adapted for preschool, primary, or secondary age ranges.
Abstract: The increasing concern for children whose behaviour is problematic for teachers has become an international problem. Strategies for modifying behaviours should become an essential antidote to the increasing exclusion of pupils from schools. This action research gives a clear, structured account of drama as an agent for changing behaviours in the educational situation, and is an innovatory drama programme which has a universal appeal and can be adapted for preschool, primary, or secondary age ranges. The research aims have been devised, rooted in grounded theory, and heavily weighted to develop the personal and social skills of students. Objectives include: strengthening the pupils’ information base, enhancing the pupils’ educational problem‐solving, and encouraging pupils to adopt positive attitudes in order to develop more consistent positive behaviour. Behaviours are to do with relationships: students creating problems for themselves and others through inappropriate behaviours need to widen the...
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue for the importance of philosophical inquiry in drama education and use the concept of dramatic creativity to demonstrate how drama education can be informed by philosophical enquiry.
Abstract: Discussions about the nature and role of research in drama education tend to focus on research of an empirical nature, either quantitative or qualitative. One centrally important type of research is often neglected, that is, research which is philosophical in nature. Yet the kind of inquiry which philosophy embodies is of central importance to the development of sound theories and practices and, moreover, provides the grounding for meaningful research of the empirical kind. In this paper, I explicate the nature of philosophical inquiry and argue for its importance for drama education. I develop this argument with reference to the concept of dramatic creativity, using a philosophical examination of this concept to demonstrate how drama education can be informed by philosophical inquiry.
14 citations
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors share reflections on their own use of three common approaches to contemporary drama research, namely "Traditional-Empirical", "Ethnographic-Interpretive" and "Action Research".
Abstract: There has never been a better time for researching our own drama workplaces than the present. The aim of this research article is to share reflections on my own use of three common approaches to contemporary drama research, namely 'Traditional-Empirical', 'Ethnographic-Interpretive' and 'Action Research'. As a teacher-researcher, I reflect on the efficacy of these approaches when driven by specific research questions and/or purposes.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present Approaches to Drama Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp 165-173.
Abstract: (1996). Approaches to Drama Research. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 165-173.
10 citations
TL;DR: Theatre for Development (TFD) has emerged in Nigeria, as it has in many other parts of Africa, as an alternative practice to mainstream theatre, and has, therefore, developed as an interaction with ordinary people.
Abstract: Theatre for Development (TFD) has emerged in Nigeria, as it has in many other parts of Africa, as an alternative practice to mainstream theatre. It has, therefore, developed as an interaction with ordinary people. TFD has, in consequence, become a vehicle as well as a strategy in the way it uses indigenous forms as elements of its practice. It has, however, acknowledged the presence of the mainstream and integrated aspects of it into its practice. The appeal and ability of TFD to analyse and strategise for action, and its democratic structure, put ordinary people in control from the stage of problem identification through to community action. It is these aspects of participation, analysis and questioning which allow us to discover an interconnection between TFD and Drama in Education (DIE). Like TFD, DIE is engaged in the exercise of critical reinterpretation of social issues by and with children. In essence, therefore, both practices are about interrogating society.
8 citations
TL;DR: Theatre for Development is now widely practised in many parts of the world even though its practitioners may not always agree about what constitutes theatre or development as mentioned in this paper, due to the lack of agreed theoretical bases or to the absence of effective networking.
Abstract: Theatre for Development is now widely practised in many parts of the world even though its practitioners may not always agree about what constitutes theatre or development Much of the work is conducted on a project‐by‐project basis due to the lack of agreed theoretical bases or to the absence of effective networking Furthermore the community drama movement in the UK, increasingly perceived as being under threat from the decline in resources has generally not taken any account of Theatre for Development in its evolution This paper investigates the possible gains, in terms of contemporary social relevance, for community theatre and drama from exposing itself to the foreign influence of Theatre for Development One possible means of engendering a cross‐fertilisation is offered in the form of a Masters course in Community Drama for Development which has recently been launched as a joint venture between King Alfred's College, Winchester and the Arts Faculty of the University of Southampton The wa
8 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors described an alternative approach, by tracing the evolution of a peer-mediated, site-based programme that focused on drama as the target of enhanced teacher practice.
Abstract: Although ineffective in precipitating change in either teacher attitudes or behaviours, single‐session workshops remain the most prevalent form of drama in‐service education available to practising educators. The project described in this paper documents an alternative approach, by tracing the evolution of a peer‐mediated, site‐based programme that focused on drama as the target of enhanced teacher practice. A collaborative initiative, the project required active participation from four key players: the school superintendent, principal, teachers, and peer‐coach. Post‐project reflections address six pertinent topics: the importance of administrative support; learning stages in the staff development process; sources of teacher satisfaction; teacher attitudes toward drama and in‐service education; student learning observed; and persistent problems and challenges to collaborative professional growth.
7 citations
TL;DR: The project "Drama in the workplace" as discussed by the authors was designed as a response to an educational climate in Australia where it was perceived that educational institutions and employers needed to explore ways of developing connections with each other.
Abstract: In this paper a project will be described that was designed as a response to an educational climate in Australia where it was perceived that educational institutions and employers needed to explore ways of developing connections with each other. In this context the project ‘Drama in the Workplace, set out to explore the possible connections between drama methods used in school‐based educational settings and methods used in training with a particular vocational focus. A pilot project completed in 1993 indicated that drama methods have infiltrated the workplace and vocational courses in the guise of experiential strategies such as role plays and other forms of simulation to attempt to get the participants to make a more personal commitment to training and develop greater knowledge about themselves and others and about their role in the workplace. However, the way role play and simulation are often practised sometimes results in only minimal commitment from the participants. Often role play is used ...
TL;DR: In this paper, a study using dramatic representation as a meeting ground for oppositional forces in society is presented, which seeks ways to increase awareness about the role that drama/theatre class plays in the context of students' everyday lives, using Jewish‐Arab encounters as an authentic mode for deliberate reflections on the peace process in the Middle East in the shadow of war and hostility.
Abstract: This paper is based on a study using dramatic representation as a meeting ground for oppositional forces in society. The study seeks ways to increase awareness about the role that the drama/theatre class plays in the context of students' everyday lives, using Jewish‐Arab encounters as an authentic mode for deliberate reflections on the peace process in the Middle East in the shadow of war and hostility. The study investigated three projects and their contexts, aiming to report events as they happened, to document experiences of drama, and to draw conclusions, derive models from the projects, and formulate hypotheses still to be tested. Consistent examination of what is taught and how, is a necessary step which has to be taken with consideration of what is essential for culturally sensitive theatre/drama education.
TL;DR: In this article, the challenges of drama research research research in drama education are discussed and an overview of the challenges faced by researchers in the field of drama education is presented. pp. 271-273
Abstract: (1996) Understanding the Challenges of Drama Research Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance: Vol 1, No 2, pp 271-273
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the functioning of a drama teacher support group established in 1991 in response to teachers' requests, and describe the development of the teachers as they endeavoured to incorporate drama into their repertoire of teaching strategies.
Abstract: The purpose of this research project was to explore the functioning of a drama teacher support group established in 1991 in response to teachers’ requests. The objectives of the study were to describe the development of the teachers as they endeavoured to incorporate drama into their repertoire of teaching strategies, to examine the role of the group facilitators, and to monitor the development and role of the group itself. Specifically, the project was designed to provide direction for improving the use of drama as a context for learning, and through this, to examine alternative methods of delivering in‐service and professional development activities. The article ends with a discussion of the outcomes and their implications.
TL;DR: Turning Up the Volume as discussed by the authors is an example of such a project, which took place at the Oasis Youth Centre, Salford, early in 1995, with the aim of exposing immanent aspects of Invisible Theatre.
Abstract: The article reports on a so‐called Invisible Theatre project undertaken by one of Britain's leading young people's theatre companies, Blah Blah Blah (Leeds). Entitled ‘Turning Up the Volume’, it took place at the Oasis Youth Centre, Salford, early in 1995. In effect, the article is in two parts. The first is comprised of an account of the circumstances surrounding the project, including the precise context of the work and the attempt to fuse the techniques of a performance artist with those of an educational theatre company. The second part represents an attempt to evaluate the significance of the work, taking the form of a dialogue between the artistic director of the theatre company and the youth leader at the Oasis Centre, and facilitated by the writer of the article. Overall, the article's intention is to expose immanent aspects of Invisible Theatre by a simple method of recounting how the project unfolded and by permitting the voices of key players themselves to be heard.
TL;DR: In this article, a research project was developed in conjunction with the teaching and extension programmes of the Centro de Artes of Santa Catarina State University, in southern Brazil.
Abstract: This research project was developed in conjunction with the teaching and extension programmes of the Centro de Artes of Santa Catarina State University, in southern Brazil. It involved the creation of a presentation for and by children, based on educational work with children and adolescents. We began collecting data about imagery created by three groups of children: one from a community in the interior of the island, another from a slum neighbourhood in the centre of the city, and a third from a peripheral region on the mainland portion of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina. This data collection was based on three characters that arose in our work in one of these communities where the children gave the characters the curious names of: 7 Don't Know’, ‘Nobody’, and ‘Anybody’. We chose to work with these characters in the research stage because of their broad symbolism and the freedom they offered to the creative process. The data analysis led us to the theme of sexuality, principally as it related to t...
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of Brecht and Boal on English drama teachers is examined through the analysis of two essays, which comment on the historical development of the role of the spectator in drama in education.
Abstract: This study calls attention to the similar ways Heathcote, Brecht and Boal make use of structural devices, known today as elements of a post‐modern poetics, in their practice. All of them achieve this result mainly by deconstructing the text (whether a written or an oral one) via an exchange of frames and roles which challenge the participants' attitudes and certainties. The influence of Brecht and Boal on English drama teachers is looked at here through the analysis of two essays, which comment on the historical development of the role of the spectator in drama in education. The particular contribution of Heathcote's dialectic method to classroom drama is seen then as resulting from the continuous process of inputting and upgrading content through form by teacher intervention within the drama frame.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the development and implementation of a workshop given at the Universidade do Algarve to Portuguese students majoring in English, which provided students with a physical approach to several Shakespearean sonnets.
Abstract: This paper discusses a pilot project which explores an innovative approach to teaching language skills to non‐native speakers of English. The project began when the authors considered whether a non‐verbal approach to ‘difficult’ texts (based on exercises drawn from Tai Chi Chuan & Qigong) can help students who are non‐native speakers of English. In this paper the authors describe the development and implementation of a workshop given at the Universidade do Algarve to Portuguese students majoring in English. This workshop was given to students of differing levels and provided students with a physical approach to several Shakespearean sonnets. Throughout this pilot study data were recorded in a number of ways. The information gained from this process was then collated and analysed using an approach based on Comparative‐Emergent Qualitative Research Method. Given the size of this study our findings are obviously limited and more research is necessary before more definitive statements may be made con...
TL;DR: The authors argue that drama education in schools should draw its curriculum from a critical engagement with this presence and its history, arguing that drama is powerfully part of the rhythm of our lives for at least 3000 years, its varied forms have reflected back to us the cultural and historical circumstances which sustain us and within which we must try to make sense of our condition.
Abstract: Drama is powerfully part of the rhythm of our lives. For at least 3000 years, its varied forms have reflected back to us the cultural and historical circumstances which sustain us and within which we must try to make sense of our condition. This article argues that drama education in schools should draw its curriculum from a critical engagement with this presence and its history.