La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia : Historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)

La tesis titulada "La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)", propone un análisis histórico-político de las prácticas del Grupo de Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: los modos de intervención en el territorio y los niveles de transformación/ reproducción de las dinámicas sociales en las comunidades en las cuales se desarrolla. A su vez, aborda el estudio de los procesos subjetivos que atraviesan a los miembros del grupo, generando interrogantes en torno al modo de sentir, significar y enunciar de los participantes en su articulación individual/colectiva. Partimos de la hipótesis de que la conformación del grupo teatral creó prácticas estéticas novedosas que motivaron la constitución de nuevos actores, proyectos políticos, culturales y sociales concretos, como la Cooperativa La Comunitaria. Como en todo proceso de transformación, los movimientos inscriptos en el orden de lo social involucran diversos actores e intereses en pugna que se entrecruzan dinámicamente en el espacio público, y las luchas por el poder que se desarrollan en el ámbito político-institucional y en espacios de construcción colectiva configuran un mapa poco claro de las lógicas de fondo que delinean estas propuestas. Buscando explorar estos ?grises?, proponemos construir un análisis en torno al proyecto que sustenta los procesos generados por el grupo y las diversas dimensiones que lo configuran. Planteamos reconstruir y analizar las diversas dimensiones que atraviesan las prácticas del grupo de teatro para rescatar el "estar siendo" del mismo y estudiar articulaciones entre niveles de realidad y niveles de abstracción en campos diversos

La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia : Historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)

La tesis titulada "La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)", propone un análisis histórico-político de las prácticas del Grupo de Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: los modos de intervención en el territorio y los niveles de transformación/ reproducción de las dinámicas sociales en las comunidades en las cuales se desarrolla. A su vez, aborda el estudio de los procesos subjetivos que atraviesan a los miembros del grupo, generando interrogantes en torno al modo de sentir, significar y enunciar de los participantes en su articulación individual/colectiva. Partimos de la hipótesis de que la conformación del grupo teatral creó prácticas estéticas novedosas que motivaron la constitución de nuevos actores, proyectos políticos, culturales y sociales concretos, como la Cooperativa La Comunitaria. Como en todo proceso de transformación, los movimientos inscriptos en el orden de lo social involucran diversos actores e intereses en pugna que se entrecruzan dinámicamente en el espacio público, y las luchas por el poder que se desarrollan en el ámbito político-institucional y en espacios de construcción colectiva configuran un mapa poco claro de las lógicas de fondo que delinean estas propuestas. Buscando explorar estos ?grises?, proponemos construir un análisis en torno al proyecto que sustenta los procesos generados por el grupo y las diversas dimensiones que lo configuran. Planteamos reconstruir y analizar las diversas dimensiones que atraviesan las prácticas del grupo de teatro para rescatar el "estar siendo" del mismo y estudiar articulaciones entre niveles de realidad y niveles de abstracción en campos diversos

La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia : Historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)

La tesis titulada "La potencia en la escena. Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: historicidad, política, actores y sujetos en juego/s (2010-2014)", propone un análisis histórico-político de las prácticas del Grupo de Teatro Comunitario de Rivadavia: los modos de intervención en el territorio y los niveles de transformación/ reproducción de las dinámicas sociales en las comunidades en las cuales se desarrolla. A su vez, aborda el estudio de los procesos subjetivos que atraviesan a los miembros del grupo, generando interrogantes en torno al modo de sentir, significar y enunciar de los participantes en su articulación individual/colectiva. Partimos de la hipótesis de que la conformación del grupo teatral creó prácticas estéticas novedosas que motivaron la constitución de nuevos actores, proyectos políticos, culturales y sociales concretos, como la Cooperativa La Comunitaria. Como en todo proceso de transformación, los movimientos inscriptos en el orden de lo social involucran diversos actores e intereses en pugna que se entrecruzan dinámicamente en el espacio público, y las luchas por el poder que se desarrollan en el ámbito político-institucional y en espacios de construcción colectiva configuran un mapa poco claro de las lógicas de fondo que delinean estas propuestas. Buscando explorar estos ?grises?, proponemos construir un análisis en torno al proyecto que sustenta los procesos generados por el grupo y las diversas dimensiones que lo configuran. Planteamos reconstruir y analizar las diversas dimensiones que atraviesan las prácticas del grupo de teatro para rescatar el "estar siendo" del mismo y estudiar articulaciones entre niveles de realidad y niveles de abstracción en campos diversos

“Filling out the forms was a nightmare” : project evaluation and the reflective practitioner in community theatre in contemporary Northern Ireland

Since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, large sums have been invested in community theatre projects in Northern Ireland, in the interests of conflict transformation and peace building. While this injection of funds has resulted in an unprecedented level of applied theatre activity, opportunities to maximise learning from this activity are being missed. It is generally assumed that project evaluation is undertaken at least partly to assess the degree of success of projects against important social objectives, with a view to learning what works, what does not, and what might work in the future. However, three ethnographic case studies of organisations delivering applied theatre projects in Northern Ireland indicate that current processes used to evaluate such projects are both flawed and inadequate for this purpose. Practitioners report that the administrative work involved in applying for and justifying funding is onerous, burdensome, and occurs at the expense of artistic activity. This is a very real concern when the time and effort devoted to ‘filling out the forms’ does not ultimately result in useful evaluative information. There are strong disincentives for organisations to report honestly on their experiences of difficulties, or undesirable impacts of projects, and this problem is not transcended by the use of external evaluators. Current evaluation processes provide little opportunity to capture unexpected benefits of projects, and small but significant successes which occur in the context of over-ambitious objectives. Little or no attempt is made to assess long-term impacts of projects on communities. Finally, official evaluation mechanisms fail to capture the reflective practice and dialogic analysis of practitioners, which would richly inform future projects. The authors argue that there is a need for clearer lines of communication, and more opportunities for mutual learning, among stakeholders involved in community development. In particular, greater involvement of the higher education sector in partnership with government and non-government agencies could yield significant benefits in terms of optimizing learning from applied theatre project evaluations.

Release:A Theatre of Witness Documentary

‘RELEASE’ a documentary by Declan Keeney

Everyone has a past; but should they be defined by it? The legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland weighs heavily on many of those who experienced it. The pain and loss is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. The act of remembering itself can be a difficult and dangerous journey. The documentary film 'Release' shot and directed by Declan Keeney explores the life stories of six remarkable men, told in their own words and in their own way through an original Theatre of Witness production of the same name that toured Northern Ireland and the Border Counties in 2012. The film explores themes of forgiveness, remembering and the pain of living with our ever-present past.
With great courage and conviction, a former RUC detective, a former Prison Governor, a former British soldier, two ex-prisoners and a community activist who survived a car bomb as a child come together across the sectarian divide to create a group of men working for peace. Their journey is at times heart breaking, extraordinary, breathtakingly brave but ultimately transformational. It is a story of survival, but most importantly it is their story and in their own words.

'Stepping out' with Gargantua : learning new research practices in the educational theatre of absurdity

Access to new forms, conduct and practices of educational research remain elusive providing researchers stay within the narrow theoretical constructs-the static, single vista ofconventional research models. This dissertation presents the findings of an experimental study that aims to extend the discourse of educational research through a 'performative ethnographic analysis' by using a single-site case study approach. The case study is an analytical parody based on multiple discourse relevant to a 'new' and different approach to educational research so that a more comprehensive and complex process of reading and writing text becomes possible. Throughout this process, a generative methodology and interpretative base are anticipated to provide a metaphoric focus for a critical dialogue. The discourse informing the theoretical and interpretative base of the study include philosophy, science, visual arts, literary theory, critical postructuralist theory and theatre performance. The data are presented as a series of performance narratives in the form of socio-drama, interspersed with critical reflection that enables the researcher, the research participant and reader to become part ofa triadic construct. The findings from this study have major implications for informing contemporary educational research, as they demonstrate that by approaching research in 'new' and different ways, the researcher and the educational community have access to insights that are unavailable within the constraints of conventional models ofresearch.

"Theatre of the dancing language" : new possibilities in contemporary Australian playwrighting

This study focuses on trends in contemporary Australian playwrighting, discussing recent investigations into the playwrighting process. The study analyses the current state of this country’s playwrighting industry, with a particular focus on programming trends since 1998. It seeks to explore the implications of this current theatrical climate, in particular the types of work most commonly being favoured for production. It argues that Australian plays are under-represented (compared to non-Australian plays) on ‘mainstream’ stages and that audiences might benefit from more challenging modes of writing than the popular three-act realist play models. The thesis argues that ‘New Lyricism’ might fill this position of offering an innovative Australian playwrighting mode. New Lyricism is characterised by a set of common aesthetics, including a non-linear narrative structure, a poetic use of language and magic realism. Several Australian playwrights who have adopted this mode of writing are identified and their works examined. The author’s play Floodlands is presented as a case study and the author’s creative process is examined in light of the published critical discussions about experimental playwriting work.

Developing a theatre of the integrated actor : the application of the Suzuki actor training method within three theatrical contexts

This research project examines the application of the Suzuki Actor Training Method (the Suzuki Method) within the work ofTadashi Suzuki's company in Japan, the Shizuoka Performing Arts Complex (SPAC), within the work of Brisbane theatre company Frank:Austral Asian Performance Ensemble (Frank:AAPE), and as related to the development of the theatre performance Surfacing. These three theatrical contexts have been studied from the viewpoint of a "participant- observer". The researcher has trained in the Suzuki Method with Frank:AAPE and SP AC, performed with Frank:AAPE, and was the solo performer and collaborative developer in the performance Surfacing (directed by Leah Mercer). Observations of these three groups are based on a phenomenological definition of the "integrated actor", an actor who is able to achieve a totality or unity between the body and the mind, and between the body and the voice, through a powerful sense of intention. The term "integrated actor" has been informed by the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and his concept of the "lived body". Three main hypotheses are presented in this study: that the Suzuki Method focuses on actors learning through their body; that the Suzuki Method presents an holistic approach to the body and the voice; and that the Suzuki Method develops actors with a strong sense of intention. These three aspects of the Suzuki Method are explored in relation to the stylistic features of the work of SPAC, Frank:AAPE and the performance Surfacing.

The impact of rhetoric and reality on community anticipation of risk in the development of multi-purpose services (MPS) : A grounded theory study

better health service.Conclusion:This research provides an insight into the perceptions of the rhetoric and reality of community member involvement in the process of developing multi-purpose services. It revealed a grounded theory in which fear and trust were intrinsic to a process of changing from a traditional hospital service to the acceptance of a new model of health care provided at a multi-purpose service.

Performing design analysis: game design creativity and the theatre of the impressed

We report and reflect upon the early stages of a research project that endeavours to establish a culture of critical design thinking in a tertiary game design course. We first discuss the current state of the Australian game industry and consider some perceived issues in game design courses and graduate outcomes. The second sec-tion presents our response to these issues: a project in progress which uses techniques originally exploited by Augusto Boal in his work, Theatre of the Oppressed. We appropriate Boal’s method to promote critical design thinking in a games design class. Finally, we reflect on the project and the ontology of design thinking from the perspective of Bruce Archer’s call to reframe design as a ‘third academic art’.

Performing design: game design, practice, praxis and the theatre of the impressed

This paper is a reflection on a design teaching project that endeavours to establish a culture of critical design thinking in a tertiary game design course. In the first instance, the ‘performing design’ project arose as a response to contemporary issues and tensions in the Australian games industry and game design education, in essence, the problem of how to scaffold undergraduate students from their entry point as ‘players’ (the impressed) into becoming designers. The performing design project therefore started as a small-scale intervention to inspire reflection in a wider debate that includes: the potential evolution of the contemporary games industry; the purpose of game design education; and the positioning of game design as a design discipline. Our position is that designing interactive playful works or games is victim of a tendency to simplify the discipline and view it from either the perspective of science or art. In this paper we look at some of the historical discussions on the distinct identity of games. Then we present an overview of the typical state of play in contemporary game design education which inspires the performing design project as an intervention or teaching technique. This leads us to question understandings of education and training and creativity and innovation. Finally we reflect on insights arising from the performing design project which lead us to support Archer’s call for a ‘third area’ that balances the monolithic practices of the two major academic disciplines.