Name of practitioner-researcher: Dr. Almiro Andrade
| What is your project focus? (Research Question. Direction in which your project will be presented and actioned. (i.e consciousness raising, awareness for who/whose awareness is needed, who will need to be engaged for those changes to take place and will they need to understand prior to engaging with the project.) My Research will focus on the increasingly Transnational landscape of Theatre Performance artists in the UK which is reflected in both our UG and PG student cohorts, and its impact on the multitude of meaning descriptors/words carry when used in translation or in further exemplifying of contemporary approaches. The problems arising from this unstable vocabulary go beyond simple misunderstandings, as they show deep roots in colonial approaches to academic knowledge and hold the prejudices of a white anglophone hegemony which causes different ethnical and cultural approaches to be cast as ‘other’. For this, I will conduct a practical workshop with PGR and PGT students from WCA, who are already challenging the aforementioned hegemony in the development of their practice, in order to investigate the problems in the contextual use of heavy-loaded concepts in performance such as ‘training’, ‘method’, ‘technical support’, ‘conservatoire’, amongst many others and perhaps expand on the suggestion of a new common vocabulary that is radically inclusive, open, and self-aware. Participants will need to have a prior knowledge of UG terms in performance and be in the development stages of research into their own approaches and practice – hence the choice of selecting PG students and not UG. The aim is to create a Mini-Decolonial Transnational Dictionary (MDTD) in order to address the issues mentioned above. |
| What are you going to read about? What literature and thinkers will you be engaging with. (i.e. books, essays, video-lectures, interviews, performance, etc.) References: FREIRE, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Publishing. 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 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) BOAL, A. (2008). Theatre of the oppressed. Theatre Communications Group. 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 YOUNG, Harvey. Theatre & Race (at Theatre &… book series) , Bloomsbury Publishing (2013) London. METZGER, Sean. Race in Performance (at Oxford Research Encyclopedia – 2019) https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.101 FINCH, Supryia. So, Cambridge Theatre has a race problem. What Now? (to Varsity – 2023) https://www.varsity.co.uk/theatre/25932#:~:text=Her%20biggest%20piece%20of%20advice,or%20you%20can%20abandon%20tradition AHMED, S., & SWAN, E. (Eds.). (2013). Queer Visibility in Postmodern Drama: Representations of Genders and Sexualities on Stage. Palgrave Macmillan. |
| What action are you going to take in your teaching practice? Theatre performance is often characterised by inconsistent epistemologies, arising from diverse cultural contexts, historical narratives, and aesthetic philosophies. These inconsistencies can lead to fragmented understandings of performance, marginalising voices and perspectives that do not conform to dominant paradigms. The creation of a Mini-Decolonial Transnational Dictionary (MDTD) aims to bridge these gaps by facilitating dialogue across cultural boundaries and challenging colonial legacies ingrained in theatrical practices. This vocabulary encourages the integration of indigenous and ethnic minorities’ narratives, methodologies, and aesthetics, allowing for a more inclusive and collaborative approach to performance. By prioritising the nuances of different cultural epistemologies, artists and scholars can foster a richer, more holistic theatrical experience. The action will take shape in two parts: One 3-hour dramaturgical session with 3 or 4 PGR students from different strands of research in acting and performance or design for performance. This session will consist of 1-hour work on the key elements or heavy-loaded words that should be addressed in this dramaturgical exercise; the 2nd hour will consist of the individuals placing the words chosen in relationship to one another, investigating how they question their meanings; the last hour will entail in the creation of the MDTD manifesto that will take the form of a shareable document.Dissemination of document produced in the PGR session with PGT students, alongside a questionnaire that will guide them on the analysis and further use of the MDTD manifesto on their learning journey and future practice. Such an approach not only validates marginalised perspectives but also enriches the global theatrical landscape, promoting a re-examination of power dynamics within performance. Ultimately, MDTD will serve as a means to reclaim agency, ensuring that diverse narratives can coexist and thrive within the performance-teaching and performance-making landscapes. |
| Who will be involved and how? 3 or 4 PGR and 3 different PGT student-cohorts from WCA. None of them will be under the age of 18. |
| What are the health & safety concerns, and how will you prepare for them? When conducting workshops with Postgraduate Research (PGR) and Postgraduate Taught (PGT) students to create a decolonial transnational vocabulary, it’s essential to establish clear guidelines for the retention and use of collected information and any health and safety concerns that may arise from it. Duration of Information Retention: The data gathered during workshops can be retained for a period of three months after the completion of the action research project. This timeframe allows for thorough analysis and incorporation of insights into the final project submission. Purpose of the Data: 1. Academic Research: The insights will inform our future scholarly work, contributing to articles, presentations, or other academic outputs. 2. Curriculum Development: Findings may shape educational materials or methodologies within theatre studies and related fields. 3. Community Engagement: The data could support outreach initiatives aimed at fostering greater understanding of decolonial practices in theatre and performance outside academia. Separation of Information: – Participant Data: This includes any personal identification, demographic information, and specific comments or experiences shared during the workshop. This data will be anonymised to ensure individual privacy is maintained. It will be stored securely and will not be included in the main findings unless participants explicitly consent to its use. – Main Data for Analysis: General themes, vocabulary suggestions, and collective insights can be extracted and analysed without revealing individual contributions. This data will be used to assess trends and generate meaningful conclusions from the workshops. Awareness and Access: Participants will be informed upfront about how their contributions may be used and who will have access to the data. Access will be limited to me as the workshop facilitator and researcher; to my direct cohort colleagues, who may share discussions, and to the ARP tutors. Participants will be given the option to withdraw their contributions at any point during the data collection and analysis process. By maintaining transparency and respecting participant privacy, I believe we can effectively use the gathered information for constructive academic and community-building purposes. |
| How will you protect the data of those involved?What will be done in order to protect the participants’ data (i.e. raw data destruction, access to selected data being restricted/controlled, etc.) As mentioned above, I intend to take all possible measures in order to protect the participant’s personal data through the use of restricted access (in case of blog posting) and raw-data destruction when necessary. |
| How will you work with your participants in an ethical way?Time keeping, consent forms, engagement, etc. I intend to create a Teams group where participants can start collating articles and interesting data they would like to bring to the discussion and where I can also share material for reading with them. After the introductory and exchange of prior knowledge I aim to set up a 3-hour workshop where I will facilitate discussions amongst participants, engage in practical exercises and produce a concise version of vocabulary that will arise from those. Consent forms will need to be signed prior to the student’s engagement with this project. Their contribution will be acknowledged, and I truly hope this sparks good contribution for approaches on their future as researchers, academics and practitioners. |