South Africa is undergoing fundamental transformation at all levels of government and civil society, requiring a firm commitment to redressing the legacy of apartheid and to the development of South Africa's people. Part of this commitment is to undertake research which complements transformation processes, investigating the most appropriate ways to meet the challenges posed by such change. This study examines the potential of drama in the secondary school to meet key educational challenges, motivating strongly for the inclusion of drama as part of the formal curriculum in all schools. Social transformation has been greatly influenced by policy such as the Reconstruction & Development Programme (RDP) and subsequent Government White Papers which identify the need to develop South Africa's human resources as crucial. It is in this light, arid in the context of great disparity that exists across the education spectrum, that learning experiences of high quality must be provided in schools. It is argued that drama, as an lift form and an educational medium, is able to provide such qualitatively sound learning experiences because it is essentially learner-centered, experiential and holistic, offering unique ways of knowing, understanding and gaining insights. However, the classroom drama experience needs careful conceptualisation itself, particularly in view of the fact that life experiences of pupils are characteriseg by multiplicity and diversity within a new era of social and cultural mixing, as well as increased global interaction through, for example, the mass media and the internet. This study thus argues from a post-structuralist perspective, which embraces notions of multiplicity, proposing a reconceptualisation of the classroom drama experience that challenges the oppositional or binary perspectives that have previously characterised the way we think about drama and education. Example~ include art versus utilitarianism; process versus product; drama versus theatre. Investigating the classroom drama experierice in the light of developments in postmodern theatre, this study proposes that classroom drama should be seen as a form of theatre itself and suggests the term theatricalisaction to describe this classroom-theatre process which is based on action, reflection, experience and creative expression. It becomes a theatre of activity or an activating theatre. In this light classroom drama is considered in a specifically South Mrican context. In particular, this study examines the ways in which the following contexts impact upon the drama experience: the education system, the place of the arts within that system, and cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom. Drawing on policy documentation, conference proceedings and studies that have been carried out in multiculturalism and multilingualism, the specific educational challenges facing South Africans are identified. In further exploring the potential of drama to meeting these challenges, this study documents the results of surveys conducted with drama teachers and with ~students who have studied drama as one of their formal subjects, highlighting in particular their perceptions, perspectives and experiences regarding the aims and value of drama education. Finally, in light of the information gained from teachers and learners, and of the concepts and contexts investigated, this thesis considers the ways in which the drama experience can contribute to meeting three primary educational challenges: the building of a culture of learning; the development and empowerment of pupils; and the embracing of cultural and linguistic diversity. This study concludes that drama is able to contribute significantly to educational change because of the teaching and learning processes it offers as an art form, and in particular, a theatre form. It is such a participatory, democratic classroom-theatre which provides a teaching and learning approach that should be at the core of transformation.

Teenage pregnancy in South Africa, especially amongst teenage learners has become a national crisis with an estimated average of 5000 girls between the ages of 12 and 19 falling pregnant in one school year (Headlines Africa, 2012). This study focused on how process drama was applied with adolescent learners at Supreme Educational College in Johannesburg, to investigate the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy. Process drama requires participants to create and assume roles, identify and explore images and stories drawn from fictional worlds that relate to the participants’ own personal experiences. Through process drama workshops, teenagers were able to engage with challenging situations as a way of acquiring new knowledge about teenage pregnancy. Three major themes emerged as contributing factors to teenage pregnancy, namely, parental negligence and abuse, negative peer pressure and poverty. The learner’s engagement within the dramatic process was enhanced by means of dialogue, negotiation and reflection with the teacher adopting the role of facilitator and co-participant. The fictional world created by the drama enabled the learners to relate and identify with problematic aspects of teenage pregnancy. The study concludes that process drama offers an aesthetic space for teenagers to develop a deeper understanding of themselves in relation to their lived experiences. The study recommends process drama as a powerful interactive medium that needs to be implemented in schools to grapple with intractable issues such as teenage pregnancy.

The aim of my research was to introduce drama, in the form of theatre for development processes, to local Grahamstown Primary School teachers, and to work closely with one teacher to explore theatre for development in the classroom, as a means of introducing both environmental education and learner-centred, constructivist teaching methodologies. I started my research by interviewing Primary School principals as well as sending out questionnaires to teachers, to survey their understanding and practice of drama and environmental education in the school curriculum and to invite them to participate in the research project. In collaboration with Educational Drama and Theatre students, I developed two workshops to introduce theatre for development processes such as image theatre and role-play to the teachers. Nine teachers attended this workshop which was video-taped. After the workshop I gave two lessons at a local school, in partnership with a teacher. Throughout this process I kept a research journal. All action components of the research were followed up with individual interviews, group discussions and a focus group. Although the study gave rise to multiple themes, I chose to highlight two: Firstly, Curriculum 2005 advocates a move towards more learner-centred,constructivist and process-orientated pedagogies. All of the participants in this study, including myself, had intentions of adopting a new approach tq education and teaching but found that we often reverted back to earlier learnt roles of product-orientated, text-based, authoritarian approaches to education which we originally had rejected. Secondly, I reflect on how we set out viewing environmental education, education, drama and research as a process and yet all the participants, including myself, continually tried to 'put on' the perfect performance in the form of a drama, a learning experience and research. This project was a participatory research project. The textwork of the research reflects a post-structural orientation. It has been written in the form of a drama to represent the many voices of the participants, but also to question the role of research in society and make research more accessible to non-academic readers. I also intend to perform the research process at a later stage.

Assignment (MEd(Psyc))--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This literature review highlights, with particular reference to the South African context, the emotional needs of learners with special educational needs (SEN) and stresses the importance of therapeutic intervention for these learners if educators wish to promote optimal academic, social and personal development. Due to South Africa's current economic climate a cost effective and time efficient intervention programme that is accessible to a large number of learners is essential. Action and drama techniques are proposed as possible therapeutic tools, which could potentially be implemented by educators, as therapeutic agents, within the education system. Educators would take on the central facilitation roles within these groups. The roles of director and co-director in this context have consequently been given particular cognizance. This literature review concludes that the use of action and drama techniques offers the following benefits: ~ The techniques appear to be effective treatment options for all learners with special educational needs. including those with limited verbal communication skills ~ The techniques appear to be most effective in a group setting and as such, possess the potential to reach a large number of learners. ~ Literature indicates that the techniques are adaptable and may be implemented at various levels and in diverse contexts. For example, it appears that the techniques may be implemented at a basic level in the classroom, or in more depth in a therapeutic group scenario. ~ The techniques may be implemented in a holistic manner, e.g. psychodrama model, in isolation, or be integrated with other approaches or theories. ~ Literature suggests that the techniques allow learners to gain more insight into their functioning, to work through unresolved emotions and to develop new and more functional behaviours. ~ The techniques appear to be time efficient in that literature indicates that they are conducive to brief therapy. ~ Training educators as directors and co-directors offers a potentially cost effective and accessible intervention option for South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie literatuur bespreek sekere hoogte punte, met spesifieke verwysing na die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, die emosionele behoeftes van leerders met spesiale onderwys behoeftes (SEN). Dit plaas klem op die belangrikheid van terapeutiese intervensie vir hierdie leerders indien opvoeders ten doel het om optimale akademiese, sosiale en persoonlike ontwikkeling te bevorder. Weens Suid-Afrika se huidige ekonomiese klimaat is 'n koste-effektiewe en tyds-doeltreffende effektiewe intervensie program wat toeganklik is vir 'n groot getal leerders, absoluut noodsaaklik. Aksie- en dramategnieke word voorgestel as moonlike terapeutiese middels, wat potensieel deur opvoeders geimplementeer kan word as terapeutiese middels, binne die onderwys stelsel. Opvoeders sou dan die sentrale fasaliterings rolle binne hierdie groepe inneem. Die rolle van 'n regisseur en mede regisseur in hierdie konteks het gevolglike spesifieke aandag gekry. Hierdie literatuuroorsig kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die gebruik van aksie- en dramategnieke die volgende voordele bied: ~ Die tegnieke blyk om effektiewe behandelingsopsies te wees vir leerders met beperkte verbale kommunikasie vermoëns );> Die tegnieke blyk mees effektief te wees in 'n groepsverband en as sulks, beskik dit oor die potentiaal om 'n groot getalleerders te bereik. );> Die tegnieke is aanpasbaar en kan geïmplimenteer word op verskeie vlakke en in diverse kontekste. 'n Voorbeeld hiervan blyk te wees dat die tegnieke geimplimenteer kan word op 'n basiese vlak in die klaskamer, of meer in diepte in 'n terapeutiese groep scenario. );> Die tegnieke kan geïmplimenteer word op 'n holistiese wyse, byvoorbeeld 'n psigodramamodel, in isolasie, of kan geïntigreer word met ander benaderings of teorieë );> Die tegnieke laat leerders toe om meer insig te verkry in hul funksionering, om deur onopgeloste emosies te werk en nuwe en meer funksionele gedrag te ontwikkel );> Die tegnieke blyk meer tyds-effektief te wees deurdat die literatuur aandui dat dit kortstondige terapie aanhelp );> Die opleiding van opvoeders as direkteure en mede-direkteure bied 'n potensieel-koste effektiewe en toeganklike intervensie-opsie aan Suid-Afrika

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Coursework and Research Report), University of the Witwatersrand. / This research report examines the nature of drama as a means of facilitating adult learning, especially in the South African rural context, by conducting a literature review and by compiling case studies of the use of drama at Akanani, an association. of rural development projects in South Africa where theatre-for-development is the principal methodology employed. The literature review explores the use of drama as a methodology in education and then focuses on how and why theatre-for-development has been used in Africa for community development and empowerment. The international developments in popular theatre are also considered so that as much information as possible can feed into the guidelines which are this report's conclusions. This chapter concludes with a consideration of how drama can be used for adult learning in South Africa. This research was conducted primarily by compiling a number of case studies of the use of drama at Akanani in the far northern Transvaal. Participant observation, illuminative evaluation and semi-structured interviews were used within a Participatory Research apprgach to gather information about Akanani. The researcher spent two periods of time at Akanani conducting the interviews and observing the daily operations as well as the use of drama in various contexts at Akanani. The cases studies were compiled to discover whether drama, as it is used at Akanani, is a successful and appropriate methodology for adult education in the rural areas of South Africa. This research finds drama to be a a very effective means of facilitating learning amongst adults in rural areas and concludes by offering guidelines for the use of drama as a methodology in adult education in South Africa, especially in the rural areas.

M. Tech. Drama / This study aims to investigate how the implementation of the Arts and Culture Learning Area adheres to the government policy as contained in the Revised National Curriculum Statement; to establish the challenges militating against the effective delivery of the Arts and Culture Learning Area; to interrogate the implementation process and the opportunities offered by the existing policy; and to establish the extent to which dance, drama and music are utilised as assets in the development of children's cognitive processes.

This thesis is a reflection on both the conceptual frameworks and the personal narratives that have shaped the development of the Spirals Programme. The Programme is a participatory drama and creative arts based initiative established in 2000 in Grahamstown, South Africa, to explore issues of identity in the emerging democratic context of South African society - and support both personal and contextual processes of transformation. Working within a poststructuralist and social constructionist paradigm, Spirals works with groups and communities to facilitate and enable experiential links between the drama based and performative nature of identity construction - and the possibilities for transformation and healing provided by participative drama methodologies. The structure of the thesis follows the principles of the Freirian based Action Learning praxis within which Spirals works. It begins with an account of the contextual dynamics and events that gave rise to the development of the Programme, followed by a reflection on the conceptual frameworks regarding both identity construction and participative drama methodologies that informed Spirals' development. These paradigms are then analysed in relation to the articulated experiences of three workshop participants using critical discourse analysis. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the issues emerging from this analysis - the aspects of the Programme that need to be strengthened and sustained, those that need to be changed and possible new strategies that could be developed. / Also known as: Edlmann, Theresa

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The research took place while the author worked as a volunteer theatre practitioner with the Arts and Culture Group in Wesbank township near Kuils River, Cape Town, South Africa. This organisation was founded in 2002 and was the result of one woman's efforts to keep the children of Wesbank off the streets, by keeping them busy through dance, song and drama. This study investigated the impact of basic theatre training, working towards performance and the performative act itself on the psyche of the drama group participants. More specifically, the study investigated in what ways being involved in a performance can help children and young people in an underprivileged community of Wesbank to develop confidence, a sense of competence, self-reliance, creative thinking, responsibility and the ability to work as an ensemble. The research was to a great extent focused on cross-cultural communication. How could the &quot / Cape Coloured&quot / and Xhosa members of the group overcome cultural barriers and express their cultural uniqueness equally through taking part in multicultural theatre performance.

The thesis affirms the relevance of "Theatre for Young Audiences" as a valid and distinctive genre; a performance genre that should entertain, educate and provide meaning in terms of its creative interaction with personal, social, artistic and cultural issues. The practice of playwrighting is removed from the assumption that it relies exclusively on inspiration, intuition and spontaneity; it is placed within a creative, experiential and discursive mode in which dramatic, theatrical, performance and structural issues can be researched, analysed and evaluated culminating in the crafting, making and presentation of innovative and challenging theatre. The research component of the thesis attempts to identify the social and moral responsibility of the playwright writing for young audiences. It is asserted that knowledge about the maturation of young people is crucial in the creative processes of writing plays and making theatre. The second chapter in Part One of the thesis, asserts that knowledge about the physical, emotional and intellectual maturation of the intended audience should clearly impact on the delineation of plot, action, character, language, audience participation, ethics and morality. The thesis clearly identifies the importance of this knowledge for the Arts Educator. However, "Theatre for Young Audiences" does not function solely in the realm of education. The thesis distinguishes this genre from those of "Theatre-in-Education" and "Drama-in-Education". The thesis firmly supports this distinction and affirms the status of "Theatre for Young Audiences" as a performing art. This argument is given further credence by the creative interaction of original scripts with the "living tradition" of the Commedia dell' Arte. The Commedia dell' Arte is examined from an historical perspective; pertinent features are addressed, selected, utilised and transformed into a dynamic theatrical experience for young audiences in contemporary South Africa. The Commedia dell' Arte serves as a theatrical model and becomes a creative device for further and renewed innovation. The inclusion of three original plays in Appendices 1, 2 and 3, plus numerous references to selected, original texts and performances provide an illustration of the concept that playwrighting for young people can effectively and imaginatively transpose theoretical inquiry into imaginative and challenging theatre experience. The thesis attempts to utilise a clear conceptual basis for the development of argument - the educational and psychological perspectives provide a foundation for ideas and critical writing. The theatre heritage becomes a catalyst for innovative and pertinent theatre that affirms the status, purpose and nature of "Theatre for Young Audiences" in contemporary South Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.