Author Archives: Almiro Andrade

Inclusivity in Drama and Performance Education: Balancing Religious and Non-Religious Needs – Unit 2 Inclusive Practices Second Post on Faith

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Creating an inclusive environment for drama and performance students, considering their diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds, is a complex and essential task that should be the focus of all lecturers in our School of Performance. Following my strategy of putting authors in conversation and in response to Blog task 2 and Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality, I will bring extracts from Ravenhill’s article for The Guardian (2007), Säljö et al. article for MDPI (2019), and Jones’s article for Gordon College/Stillpoint Magazine (2023) which provide various strategies for fostering such inclusivity, each offering unique perspectives and approaches.

Ravenhill focuses on the challenges faced by universities in accommodating religious practices while maintaining a secular stance. It discusses instances where religious students felt their needs were not adequately met, highlighting the importance of understanding and respecting religious diversity in educational settings. The article underscores the need to balance religious freedoms with secular policies, advocating for measures that allow religious expression without promoting any particular faith. For example, it suggests practical accommodations such as flexible scheduling, providing prayer spaces, and adjusting performance content to be sensitive to various beliefs.

Furthermore, Säljö examines strategies for creating inclusive educational environments that respect religious diversity through inclusive education and religious tolerance. It advocates for incorporating religious education into the curriculum to foster mutual respect and understanding among students from different backgrounds. This scholarly approach suggests that understanding different religions can lead to a more inclusive environment. Moreover, it highlights the importance of training teachers to handle religious diversity sensitively and knowledgeably. By integrating religious education and enhancing teacher training, the article argues that schools can promote a culture of inclusivity and respect.

Lastly, Jones discusses how faith can inform and enrich performance studies, albeit being focused in a Christian educational context. It explores the interplay between religious belief and artistic expression, arguing that faith can provide deeper context and meaning to performance. This piece advocates for integrating faith into the curriculum and performances, suggesting that religious faith can enhance artistic expression and understanding. It emphasises building a supportive community where students can explore the interplay between their faith and their art. This faith-based approach naturally integrates religious beliefs into educational experiences, making it particularly effective in his college setting.

Common Strategies Across Articles:

  • Education and Awareness: All articles stress the importance of educating students about different religious beliefs and practices to foster mutual respect and understanding.
  • Respect and Accommodation: They emphasise the need for educational institutions to respect and accommodate religious practices, whether through flexible scheduling, providing prayer spaces, or adjusting performance content to be sensitive to various beliefs.

Specific Strategies Per Article:

  1. Ravenhill:
    • Secular vs. Religious Balance: Maintaining a balance where secular policies do not infringe on religious freedoms.
    • Case Studies and Examples: Illustrating practical challenges and solutions in balancing these needs through specific cases.
  2. Säljö:
    • Curriculum Integration: Incorporating religious education into the curriculum to promote inclusivity.
    • Teacher Training: Training teachers to handle religious diversity sensitively and knowledgeably.
  3. Jones:
    • Faith Integration in Performance: Integrating faith into the curriculum and performances.
    • Community and Support: Building a supportive community where students can explore the interplay between their faith and their art.

Contrasting Approaches:

  • Secular vs. Faith-Based Institutions: while Ravenhill discusses strategies in a predominantly secular educational environment, focusing on balancing religious freedoms with secular policies, Jones represents a faith-based approach, where religious beliefs are central to the educational experience.
  • Curriculum Focus: Säljö emphasises a curriculum that includes religious education as a means to promote inclusivity. Ravenhill, on the other hand, does not advocate for specific curricular changes but focuses on practical accommodations and policy adjustments to support religious students.
  • Implementation of Inclusivity: Jones’s approach is inherently inclusive of Christian beliefs, suggesting that performances and educational content naturally integrate faith. This might be less applicable in a secular or multi-faith setting. Ravenhill and Säljö suggest more neutral strategies that can be applied in diverse educational environments, and are aware of an imposing Americanised Christian-centric view within current academic institutions.

Combining these approaches can create a comprehensive strategy for inclusivity in drama and performance education considering its complex intersectional challenges. Educators can draw from Ravenhill’s practical accommodations, Säljö’s curriculum integration, and expanding Jones’s faith-based (making it inclusive of all faiths, indeed!) enrichment to develop an inclusive environment that respects and celebrates the diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds of all students, as well as to understand the delicate balance between their boundaries and expression of their identities towards faith/religion/belief and their other protected characteristics. This multifaceted approach ensures that all students feel respected, understood, and included in their educational journey, fostering a richer, more inclusive learning environment.

References:

Mark Ravenhill is an English playwright, actor and journalist. Ravenhill is one of the most widely performed playwrights in British theatre of the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
in https://www.theguardian.com/education/2007/feb/05/highereducation.religion

Roger Säljö is a Swedish educational psychologist whose research presents a socio-cultural perspective on human learning and development, in https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/9/2/80

Norman Jones is Professor of Theatre Arts, Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Gordon College namely Boston’s Top Christian College, in https://stories.gordon.edu/what-has-faith-to-do-with-performance/

Unit 2 – Inclusive Practices First Blog Post

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After watching the reference videos about Adepitan, Sun-Kin and Brown’s individual experiences on how societal structures create the real obstacles for true inclusivity, I decided to bring to my first post two artists for discussion: Amelia Cavallo, an American born blind dancer based in the UK; and Robert McCruer, American Theorist in the studies of transnational queer and disability studies. In both Cavallo’s ‘The Art of Passing’ and McRuer’s ‘Crip Theory’ there is a shared exploration of disability as a multifaceted and socially constructed phenomenon. Both authors challenge traditional notions of ability and normalcy, advocating for a more inclusive and equitable society for people with disabilities. However, while Cavallo’s memoir focuses on personal experiences and strategies for navigating the world as a visually impaired person, McRuer’s ‘Crip Theory’ offers a broader theoretical framework that examines disability as it intersects with a plethora of identity categories such as gender, race, sexuality, and class.

One point of convergence between Cavallo’s reflections and McRuer’s theory is the critique of the medical model of disability. Both reject the notion that disability is solely an individual medical condition and instead emphasise the social and cultural dimensions of disability. They argue that disability is shaped by power dynamics, societal norms, and structural barriers that marginalise people with disabilities.

Moreover, Cavallo and McRuer highlight the importance of representation and cultural narratives in shaping perceptions of disability. Cavallo’s memoir explores the ways in which disabled bodies are often portrayed in literature, film, and media; while McRuer’s theory critiques these representations for perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing ableist attitudes. However, there are also points of disagreement between Cavallo’s and McRuer’s approaches: while Cavallo’s focuses on personal experiences and individual strategies for navigating disability, McRuer’s offers a more systemic analysis of disability as a social, political, and cultural phenomenon. Cavallo’s emphasis on personal agency and empowerment achieved through — and at times, in spite of — the concept of “passing” (not looking disabled, according to the aforementioned societal stereotypes) contrasts with McRuer’s critique of “passing” as a form of assimilation that reinforces ableist norms and excludes those who cannot pass. In conclusion, despite their different approaches, both of their works challenge readers to interrogate their own assumptions and attitudes towards disability and to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all. 

Incorporating the insights of Cavallo and McRuer into an Art School teaching context can enhance inclusivity and foster a more supportive learning environment for students with disabilities. Tutors can encourage an open dialogue about disability, challenging stereotypes and promoting empathy and understanding among students. Implementing flexible teaching methods and accommodations, such as providing alternative formats for materials and allowing extra time for assignments, can ensure that all students can fully participate. Additionally, incorporating diverse representations of disability (in performance, theatre and film, as well as theorists in my case on Performance Studies) can broaden students’ perspectives and challenge ableist assumptions. By embracing the principles proposed here, tutors can create a more inclusive and empowering learning experience for all students at UAL and beyond. Quoting Cavallo’s reflection, “I may seem like you, but I’m not the same as you, nor should I be expected to be.”

References:

CAVALLO, Amelia. The Art of Passing. Exeunt Magazine – May 2014 https://exeuntmagazine.com/features/the-art-of-passing/

MCCRUER, Robert. Crip Theory: Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability. NYU Press 2006

Final Thoughts on our Final Sessions – PGCert Theories, Policies and Practices – Playfulness in the context of Assessment and Feedback

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In the realm of theatre education, the concepts of playfulness and theatre playground serve as vibrant frameworks for engaging students and fostering creativity. For this fourth blog post I will be contrasting Hans-Georg Gadamer’s playful concept, rooted in his hermeneutic philosophy, which invites us to approach learning with a sense of openness, curiosity, and exploration; and Ramiro Silveira’s concept of Theatre Playground, which offers a structured yet dynamic environment where students can freely experiment and collaborate in the theatrical process. While both approaches prioritise student-centred learning and experiential engagement, they diverge in their perspectives on assessment and feedback.

Gadamer’s playful concept encourages educators to embrace spontaneity and fluidity in the learning process, viewing assessment and feedback as organic components of dialogue and discovery. In his paradigm, assessment is less about quantifying outcomes and more about fostering dialogue and reflection. Feedback is offered as a catalyst for further exploration, inviting students to critically engage with their own learning journey and the perspectives of other participants. By prioritising process over product, Gadamer’s approach emphasises the importance of cultivating a supportive and nurturing learning environment where students feel empowered to take risks and learn from their experiences.

On the other hand, Silveira’s Theatre Playground offers a more structured framework for assessment and feedback within the context of collaborative performance-making. Here, assessment is integrated into the creative process, with students receiving ongoing feedback from peers and tutors as they navigate the challenges of devising and staging theatrical works. Feedback is framed within the context of the ensemble, with an emphasis on constructive critique and collective problem-solving. While Silveira’s approach allows for greater accountability and direction in the creative process, it can also run the risk of imposing hierarchical structures that may stifle individual expression and experimentation.

In comparing these two approaches, it becomes clear that while both prioritise student agency and creativity, they offer distinct perspectives on the role of assessment and feedback in the learning process. Gadamer’s playful concept celebrates the joy of discovery and the value of process-oriented learning, while Silveira’s Theatre Playground provides a structured yet dynamic environment for collaborative exploration and performance-making. Ultimately, the choice between these approaches depends on your educational goals, context of the group of learners, and learning needs of your students. However, by embracing the principles of playfulness and creativity, educators can create transformative learning experiences that inspire growth, innovation, and self-expression in the theatre classroom.

Thoughts on our Second Session (Micro-teaching) and Object-based learning – PGCert Theories, Policies and Practices / Part 3-3 20min Micro-teaching session account with peers.

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Material used in the Micro-teaching session

In my micro-teaching session, I decided to explore the theme of Micro-fiction (concept developed by James Thomas-1992 , and often illustrated by Hemingway’s six-word story “For sale: Baby shoes, Never worn”, although there is a possibility that Hemingway did not author this story) in order to open a practical workshop in storytelling and narrative which I call “Whose story is it anyway?”. The workshop aims to empower students to become storytellers themselves through understanding story’s structure and the subversion of those structures in a succinct and collaborative manner.

Exploring this, I introduced to my class the aforementioned “For Sale/ Baby Shoes/ Never Worn” firstly as an object (please refer to Stock Image in Part 1-3) and the structure that the six-word story provided – leaning in the brevity offered by it but also it’s clear structure of Beginning, Middle and End. After analysis of the structure, in pairs, students had a go at writing themselves a six-word story, taking as an initial source of inspiration a wooden Zebra.

Timed Lesson Plan:
– Introduction of initial image (baby shoes) and Micro-fiction concept (3min)
– Practical exercise analysing the structure of the six-word story “For sale/ Baby shoes/ Never worn.” (5min)
– Creative Task: responding to the stimuli object (wooden zebra) and try to write your own six-word story. ( in pairs – 8min)
– Sharing of stories and feedback on their structures (4min)

The Object on which their six-word story should be based – A wooden zebra.

The collaborative nature of the practical task and the built knowledge of the structure they could rely on or subvert from produced enticing short stories, as you can see in the image below. It allowed me to marry my expertise in drama teaching and as a storyteller to the object-based learning techniques explored in the texts such as Meecham’s and our sessions with Chris and Linda, as well as the collaborate sessions led by Lindsay on Wednesdays.

Feedback and six-word stories created during workshop

The feedback received was incredibly positive, with specific praises to my engagement with participants, framing and structure of the activity and stimuli to the creative task proposed. There was point made by both our tutor, Chris, and our colleague, Beth, that the feedback portion of the Micro-teaching was slightly rushed and there was an element of restructuring one of the stories that I could have expanded on by further reflecting on the contextual explaining on Micro-fiction and story structure I had put forward at the start of the micro-teaching session. I completely agree and would add that this was a reflect of my shortcomings with time-keeping and worries about going over the timeframe of 20 minutes given to each of us.

It was incredibly helpful to also observe and participate in the micro-teaching sessions of my peers Beth, Beth and Bernadette, who are incredibly accomplished educators in other creative fields (textile, photography, and fashion jewellery, respectively). At times, when involved in your own teaching subject, it is easy for one to lose perspective of the intersections that all creative subjects have, and how much we can learn from one another on how to approach object-based learning in our sessions. I was initially reluctant in engaging with the practice, finding it distant from the approaches I was used to engage with when teaching at the BA Acting and Performance. This experience has allowed me to not only understand my successes and short-comings in my teaching methodology, but also seeing the importance to foster a creative, tactile, visual and hands-on environment in my classes with a plethora of stimuli which could be borrowed from other creative disciplines. To engage with the mission of the Theatre Teacher (Hobgood,1987) goes beyond comfortably experimented theatre practices, asking from us, tutors, to be fully open to international references and holistic approaches to foster our students creativity and talents.

References:

  1. Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Publishing.
  2. Meecham, P. (2015) ‘Talking about things: Internationalisation of the curriculum through object-based learning’, in H Chatterjee & L Hannan (eds) Engaging the senses: Object-based learning in higher education, Routledge, New York: pp.66-81
  3. Hobgood, B.M. (1987). The Mission of the Theatre Teacher. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 21(1), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.2307/3332813 (Last access – 04.03.2024)
  4. Boal, A. (2008). Theatre of the oppressed. Theatre Communications Group.
  5. Thomas, J. (1992). Flash Fiction – 72 Very Short Stories. Rose Metal Press.