Palgrave Studies In Play, Performance, Learning, and Development – serie

This edited volume explores the roles of socially-channeled play and performance in the developmental trajectories of young people who fall on the autism spectrum. The contributors offer possibilities for channels of activity through which youth on the autism spectrum may find acceptance, affirmation, and kinship with others. "Positive social updraft" characterizes the social channels through which people of difference might be swept up into broader cultural currents such that they feel valued, appreciated, and empowered. A social updraft provides cultural meditational means that include people in a current headed "upward," allowing people of atypical makeups to become fully involved in significant cultural activity that brings them a feeling of social belonging.

Winner of the 2018 AATE Distinguished Book Award! In this book, the authors share stories of creative, community based collaborations to illustrate how educators can use the arts to expand creative thinking and promote social justice beyond the classroom. Using their work in theatre classrooms as a central point, examples of innovative, inclusive programs designed to inspire learning for people of diverse abilities are presented. Through this examination, Kramer and Fask reveal the excitement, challenges, and unexpected surprises that come along with implementing a creative approach to learning.

This edited volume explores the roles of socially-channeled play and performance in the developmental trajectories of young people who fall on the autism spectrum. The contributors offer possibilities for channels of activity through which youth on the autism spectrum may find acceptance, affirmation, and kinship with others. "Positive social updraft" characterizes the social channels through which people of difference might be swept up into broader cultural currents such that they feel valued, appreciated, and empowered. A social updraft provides cultural meditational means that include people in a current headed "upward," allowing people of atypical makeups to become fully involved in significant cultural activity that brings them a feeling of social belonging.

This book draws on the author’s experience as a storyteller, drama practitioner and researcher, to articulate an emerging dialogic approach to storytelling in participatory arts, educational, mental health, youth theatre, and youth work contexts. It argues that oral storytelling offers a rich and much-needed channel for intergenerational dialogue with young people.The book keeps theory firmly tethered to practice. Section 1, ‘Storyknowing’, traces the history of oral storytelling practice with adolescents across diverse contexts, and brings into clear focus the particular nature of the storytelling exchange and narrative knowledge. Section 2, ‘Telling Stories’, introduces readers to some of the key challenges and possibilities of dialogic storytelling by reflecting on stories from the author’s own arts-based practice research with adolescents, illustrating these with young people’s artistic responses to stories. Finally, section 3, ‘Story Gaps’, conceptualises dialogic storytelling by exploring three different ‘gaps’: the gap between storyteller and listener, the gaps in the story, and the gaps which storytellers can open up within institutions.  The book includes chapters taking a special focus on storytelling in schools and in mental health settings, as well as guided reflections for readers to relate the issues raised to their own practice.

This book draws on the author’s experience as a storyteller, drama practitioner and researcher, to articulate an emerging dialogic approach to storytelling in participatory arts, educational, mental health, youth theatre, and youth work contexts. It argues that oral storytelling offers a rich and much-needed channel for intergenerational dialogue with young people.The book keeps theory firmly tethered to practice. Section 1, ‘Storyknowing’, traces the history of oral storytelling practice with adolescents across diverse contexts, and brings into clear focus the particular nature of the storytelling exchange and narrative knowledge. Section 2, ‘Telling Stories’, introduces readers to some of the key challenges and possibilities of dialogic storytelling by reflecting on stories from the author’s own arts-based practice research with adolescents, illustrating these with young people’s artistic responses to stories. Finally, section 3, ‘Story Gaps’, conceptualises dialogic storytelling by exploring three different ‘gaps’: the gap between storyteller and listener, the gaps in the story, and the gaps which storytellers can open up within institutions.  The book includes chapters taking a special focus on storytelling in schools and in mental health settings, as well as guided reflections for readers to relate the issues raised to their own practice.

This book considers the state of contemporary theatre education in Great Britain is in two parts. The first half considers the national identities of each of the three mainland nations of England, Scotland, and Wales to understand how these differing identities are reflected and refracted through culture, theatre education and creative learning. The second half attends to 21st century theatre education, proposing a more explicit correlation between contemporary theatre and theatre education. It considers how theatre education in the country has arrived at its current state and why it is often marginalised in national discourse. Attention is given to some of the most significant developments in contemporary theatre education across the three nations, reflecting on how such practice is informed by and offers a challenge to conceptions of place and nation. Drawing upon the latest research and strategic thinking in culture and the arts, and providing over thirty interviews and practitioner case studies, this book is infused with a rigorous and detailed analysis of theatre education, and illuminated by the voices and perspectives of innovative theatre practitioners.

This book considers the state of contemporary theatre education in Great Britain is in two parts. The first half considers the national identities of each of the three mainland nations of England, Scotland, and Wales to understand how these differing identities are reflected and refracted through culture, theatre education and creative learning. The second half attends to 21st century theatre education, proposing a more explicit correlation between contemporary theatre and theatre education. It considers how theatre education in the country has arrived at its current state and why it is often marginalised in national discourse. Attention is given to some of the most significant developments in contemporary theatre education across the three nations, reflecting on how such practice is informed by and offers a challenge to conceptions of place and nation. Drawing upon the latest research and strategic thinking in culture and the arts, and providing over thirty interviews and practitioner case studies, this book is infused with a rigorous and detailed analysis of theatre education, and illuminated by the voices and perspectives of innovative theatre practitioners.

This is the first book length study of performance activism. While Performance Studies recognizes the universality of human performance in daily life, what is specifically under investigation here is performance as an activity intentionally entered into as a means of engaging social issues and conflicts, that is, as an ensemble activity by which we re-construct/transform social reality.  Performance Activism: Precursors and Contemporary Pioneers provides a global overview of the growing interface of performance with education, therapy, conflict resolution, civic engagement, community development and social justice activism. It combines an historical study of the processes by which, over the course of the 20th Century, performance has been loosened from the institutional constraints of the theatre with a mosaic-like overview of the diverse work/play of contemporary performance activists around the world.  Performance Activism will be of interest to theatre and cultural historians, performance practitioners and researchers, psychologists and sociologists, educators and youth workers, community organizers and political activists.

This is the first book length study of performance activism. While Performance Studies recognizes the universality of human performance in daily life, what is specifically under investigation here is performance as an activity intentionally entered into as a means of engaging social issues and conflicts, that is, as an ensemble activity by which we re-construct/transform social reality.  Performance Activism: Precursors and Contemporary Pioneers provides a global overview of the growing interface of performance with education, therapy, conflict resolution, civic engagement, community development and social justice activism. It combines an historical study of the processes by which, over the course of the 20th Century, performance has been loosened from the institutional constraints of the theatre with a mosaic-like overview of the diverse work/play of contemporary performance activists around the world.  Performance Activism will be of interest to theatre and cultural historians, performance practitioners and researchers, psychologists and sociologists, educators and youth workers, community organizers and political activists.

This book examines applied theatre projects that bring together diverse groups and foster intercultural dialogue. Based on five case studies and informed by play theory, it argues that the playful elements of theatre processes nurture a unique intimacy among diverse people.  However, this playful quality can also dampen explicit conversations about participants’ cultural differences, and defer an interrogation of people’s own entrenchment in systemic power imbalances. As a result, addressing these differences and imbalances in applied theatre contexts may require particular strategies.

This book examines applied theatre projects that bring together diverse groups and foster intercultural dialogue. Based on five case studies and informed by play theory, it argues that the playful elements of theatre processes nurture a unique intimacy among diverse people.  However, this playful quality can also dampen explicit conversations about participants’ cultural differences, and defer an interrogation of people’s own entrenchment in systemic power imbalances. As a result, addressing these differences and imbalances in applied theatre contexts may require particular strategies.

How and why does improvisational theater (improv) serve the learning and development of adults in higher education? What new approaches to higher education are possible with and because of improv activities? This edited collection considers these questions while illustrating the power of improv activities with and in higher education to co-create revolutionary opportunities for holistic human development, learning, community building, social change, and research. Moreover, this collection emphasizes the presence and significance of life-span imaginative play in the form of improv both as a topic of scholarship and as a means of teaching, learning, research, and administration in higher education. It provides illustrations of the imaginative, playful activities of the authors and offers reflections of, theoretical groundings for, and current sociopolitical contexts of these activities.

This book theorises and articulates new models of understanding ‘change’ in current applied theatre practice with young people. It extends and amplifies current discourses in the discipline of applied theatre, challenging and rethinking some of its tensions, particularly in relation to the concept of impact and what this means in practice.Applied theatre projects can struggle to attain evidence and sustain change beyond an initial intervention, this is arguably because what is valued and ‘witnessed’ as change for communities can often feel overlooked if they do not meet impact agendas or indicators. It is a key issue that, critically, needs further attention as our field develops and with increasing global pressure on the practitioner to account for and justify the ‘impact’ of their work.This book explores current models of practice and related theoretical concerns that will enable students and practitioners to gain insights into innovative practices that aim for change from applied theatre practitioners in the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand. The book thereby intends to focus on different models of practice happening in geographically urban contexts with young people to provide readers with a rich array of projects to engage with detailed case studies of current thinking around what change means in applied theatre practice. To understand how change manifests and make a case for nuancing the way we might articulate and value change, this book offers a conceptual framework around the role of witnessing and change to consider new ways to argue for the worth of practice that may challenge current impact agendas, but importantly locates the lived experience of participants and practitioners directly engaged in practice at the heart of this articulation of conversation about what counts.

This book theorises and articulates new models of understanding ‘change’ in current applied theatre practice with young people. It extends and amplifies current discourses in the discipline of applied theatre, challenging and rethinking some of its tensions, particularly in relation to the concept of impact and what this means in practice.Applied theatre projects can struggle to attain evidence and sustain change beyond an initial intervention, this is arguably because what is valued and ‘witnessed’ as change for communities can often feel overlooked if they do not meet impact agendas or indicators. It is a key issue that, critically, needs further attention as our field develops and with increasing global pressure on the practitioner to account for and justify the ‘impact’ of their work.This book explores current models of practice and related theoretical concerns that will enable students and practitioners to gain insights into innovative practices that aim for change from applied theatre practitioners in the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand. The book thereby intends to focus on different models of practice happening in geographically urban contexts with young people to provide readers with a rich array of projects to engage with detailed case studies of current thinking around what change means in applied theatre practice. To understand how change manifests and make a case for nuancing the way we might articulate and value change, this book offers a conceptual framework around the role of witnessing and change to consider new ways to argue for the worth of practice that may challenge current impact agendas, but importantly locates the lived experience of participants and practitioners directly engaged in practice at the heart of this articulation of conversation about what counts.