This dissertation is concerned with developing the South African youth's active participation in formal politics. Spoken word poetry as an applied drama and theatre medium is of particular interest to this study and it argues that the art form can be used as a means of youth development in the area of formal politics. To illustrate its argument, the dissertation discusses how a programme of spoken word poetry was used to address the issue of youth formal political participation and developed a group of young people's enthusiasm to participate in formal national decision-making processes. The programme, titled Raising Participation, was conducted with the support of Africa Unite, a non-profit organisation in Cape Town that offered their school club members as participants in the programme. The workshops targeted young people who would be eligible to vote in South Africa's next general elections, set to take place in 2024. Chapter 2 discusses spoken word poetry as an applied drama and theatre medium and identifies the connections which make spoken word poetry an appropriate art form to use as an applied drama and theatre approach. Chapter 3 discusses the programme of activities, the theoretical framework that informed its design and the methods of data collection and analysis which were used. It also discusses Africa Unite and the partnership between the organisation and the programme. Chapter 4 discusses the findings of the programme and its successes and limitations, concluding the dissertation.

Includes bibliographical references. / This dissertation focuses on the use of drama as a method of fostering inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers living in host communities. It examines two theatrically based studies simultaneously facilitated over a six month period between July and December of 2012 and explores the two programs from the stage of conception to conclusions regarding their effectiveness in tackling issues related to social exclusion, xenophobic sentiment and violence.The study approaches the topic from three social perspectives considering the position of refugee, host and facilitator and parallels these positions in order to highlight relationship structures which both prevent and assist in the fostering of inclusion and/or coexistence. The study further examines how the interactions help to develop the programs and how the use of theatre can bridge societal gaps; with a unique focus on environments where host and refugee find themselves in a non-encounter position due to the potential for violence. The research methodology stems primarily from grounded theory and brings together elements of symbolic interactionism, pedagogy, sociology, psychology and applied theatre. The method looks at increasing and facilitating communication about and between host and refugee through exploration in applied theatre and intends to increase social understanding between the parties by challenging participant’s stereotypes of the other.

This dissertation examines the theatre making process of a youth theatre group in Khayelitsha called Qina n Divas. It considers why and how this theatre making process is a youth development tool within the ambit of applied theatre. The study is partly driven by my memories and experiences of growing up in a township, as well as applied theatre aims, which are to use theatre to address social issues and honor the participants’ ways of using theatre to address their issues. I examine how the Qina n Divas young people, who are growing up in an environment that challenges their development, use theatre making as a way of reviewing and revaluing their lives. I identify and examine the various systems that influence the youth’s lives and that limit their use of theatre as a liberation tool in that the theatre making is a rehearsal of their issues rather than becoming a means of interrogating the issues. As I am immersed in the township context I also reflect on my involvement and how I unintentionally became part of the problem, which limits the youth’s development. My position of being an applied theatre practitioner and researcher is informed by my Xhosa cultural identity, my Zulu schooling and my English-speaking higher education, which also influenced my relationship with the youth. In the research process, the young people and I exchanged several theatre making methods. The theatre making explored themes of bullying, rape, environmental issues, parental love and abandonment, which revealed the youth’s emotions and thoughts about these themes. In spite of the above-mentioned limitations, I propose that theatre making allows the youth to use their imaginations to construct their identity in a partly secure space and to journey beyond the township to the Cape Town suburbs. The theatre practice induces a sense of hope amongst the youth and allows them to voice the issues that matter to them.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-62). / This dissertation examines the process of creating Jingle Dreams with the youth in Clanwilliam. It aims to ascertain whether the processes of Community Theatre drama create opportunities for the individuals in the identified community to explore a social identity influenced by historical legacy, heritage, memory (or absence thereof) and socio-economic environment. The intention of the dissertation is influenced by the Applied Drama mission to benefit individuals, communities and societies through artistic forms of intervention such as dramatic activities, theatre directing, mediation and discussions. I will examine how the processes and the performative qualities of drama and theatre have the potential to transform individuals and society. Community Theatre creates the space for young people to share and question common experiences of life. This ensures that marginalised voices are heard which has psychological and social benefits for the participants. The dissertation proposes to interrogate how young people revealed their social identity through the narrative structure, dialogue, stereotypes and symbols in Jingle Dreams. I have been strongly motivated by the work of Augusto Boal which was the source of a large part of the dramatic processes. In the research process, the young people belonging to The Community Networking Creative Arts Group were encouraged to find their own forms of artistic, cultural and theatrical expression. During the rehearsal process, the group improvised and developed many scenes which reflected issues such as alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence and intergenerational tension. The narrative of the performance was based both on their stories and on stories from their community. It reflected their circumstances, their struggles, their hopes and their dreams. Theatre devised in community situations reflects concern with the representation of memory, and participants are invited to recognise that autobiographical narratives have social, communitarian and historical significance, as well as personal relevance. Performers drew on their own experiences to devise the scenes. This process often emphasised how the boundaries between truth and fiction are blurred. The lack of a clear distinction between fact and art facilitated the revelation, exploration and contestation of social identity.

Contemporary artists have been successful in breaking into prisons and persuading the prison institutions, the general public and prison educators to legitimize artistic activity. However, the discourses on prison theatre have been largely dominated by therapeutic and rehabilitative agendas, possibly at the expense of theatre practice - its aesthetic strategies, and aural and visual qualities. This research comes against such a background. The research project was developed in response to the debates and concerns about artistic work in applied prison theatre. It was located at the borders of what can be articulated about aesthetic intervention 'without purpose' in a prison setting; - without purpose in the sense of eschewing big claims of social and psychological efficacy. Through the practice of a/r/tography, which is a means of inquiry through a method of art making, the research examined what is possible about the work. Of particular interest was the potential to explore possibilities for aesthetic intervention understandings and nuances in prison theatre. Be that as it may, although there was a conscious moving away from the applied umbrella as overtly instrumentalist, it can be argued from the findings that there is a possible tension of falling under the umbrella.

Includes bibliographical references. / The purpose of the study is to investigate the manner in which performance can facilitate communication amongst family members in dealing with the challenges facing families in which there is a member with ‘special needs’. Special needs range from problems of mental or emotional anguish, care, disability or chronic illnesses. My interest in this study is on how these special needs impact on the functioning of the family and family dynamics. Theatrical representation and audience participation is at the heart of exploring the empowering role of applied theatre to engage family members in expressing their difficulties and discussing their issues together.

This thesis examines how drama facilitators adapt and assess their praxis so that it can be applied effectively in different learning contexts. This research analyses the good praxis of established facilitators with comparatively little documentation to disseminate their approaches. MED Theatre, Magic Carpet, the Shakespeare Schools Festival and West Exe Technology College employ facilitators who adopt a personalised approach to their praxis, transitioning across the spectrum of formal and informal learning to engage a diverse range of learners. The concepts of formal and informal learning are defined at the outset and the particular problems they can present drama facilitators are contextualised. Finding the right tools and assessment procedures is a significant challenge in a pedagogic landscape characterised by conflicting theories, a broad range of learner needs, and multiple perceptions of what actually counts as evidence of learning to justify praxis. With an increasing number of facilitators sustaining themselves by operating within a variety of learning settings there is an emerging need to identify what skills, knowledge and considerations support the process of becoming this kind of extended professional. Initiating my investigation, I explore how the role of a drama facilitator has emerged through movements in the fields of education, Community Theatre and the arts in Chapter One. The main pedagogic theories and approaches to assessment that a drama facilitator must engage with to personalise praxis are presented in Chapter Two. Supporting the development of this expanding field of praxis, the four case studies analysed illustrate how facilitators have sustained careers as extended professionals whilst negotiating educational policy, different learners, and assessment criterion. This thesis contributes to the argument for sustaining and developing links between formalised learning and informal social learning. I challenge the competitive perception of system-centred and learner-centred approaches, re-framing them as inter-related processes in cases of good practice. Finally, I identify how facilitators are attempting to forge further community links, interrogating how this emerging field 4 may be developed by drama facilitators who share a commitment to developing the quality of learning opportunities offered in the UK.

Contextual, personal, theoretical, and institutional forces intersect in the development of an intentional and ethical applied drama practice. This document charts several ethical signposts marking the development process of an applied drama project, Child-centered Improvisation, in a pediatric dialysis clinic. It argues for a deep understanding of the fields and contexts in which drama is applied and an awareness of the multiplicity of voices therein. The resulting discussion claims bewilderment as a productive space and privileges a narration of the complementary practices of an applied drama practice in a pediatric healthcare setting. The document concludes with recommendations specific to developing applied drama practices in such settings. / text

This thesis looks at the ways in which performance can integrate participants and local context into the development of new devised work. This practice-led research is based on a methodology that grew out of three performance case studies completed in diverse international settings with a varied range of participants. The case studies are: Napoli Scorticata completed in 2007 in Naples, Italy; Youth Visions, completed in 2008 in Northeastern Ghana, West Africa; Triangulated City, completed in 2009 in Beirut, Lebanon. Within these diverse contexts the research questions the role of authorship when working in socially engaged practice, focusing on how practitioners can shift the focus from the artist to the body politic. Merging social engagement with a site-responsive approach, the research proposes that the artistic medium is the social system and as such argues that the modes of employment require a focus of appreciation on the generative process, context and product combined. The research is presented in two parts. Part I is an interactive DVD with images of the development process and final presentations as well as a video of each performance work. Part II is a written thesis that explores the modes of engagement, outlines the methods of development and structures a general working methodology that can be referenced by other performance practitioners. The thesis proposes Applied Live Art as a term to describe practices that include a hybrid of time-based media options, which include a social component as their primary focus. The research outcomes conclude with an analysis of place making and its importance when working with both site and society.

Abstract The Winter Summer Institute in Theatre for Development (WSI) is a biennial inter university programme that integrates a number of already established methods and ideas charted by other theorists in drama and theatre. As a pedagogical approach, its generative process relies on employing techniques such as improvisation and spontaneity. This study endeavours to unpack the principles and strategies that inform the generative process of theatre - making in the WSI. It emerged from the perception that the notion of ‘theatre without script’ (Fox 1994) underpins the work of the WSI, as it offers experiential and experimentational theatre-making. ‘Rapid cognition,’ a theory concerned with the ability to think instinctively, circumventing time and logic was used as the theoretical framework. Gladwell (2005) maintains that the life experience that individuals possess has enough power to intuitively and rapidly guide them to correct understanding, without necessarily complying with the formal procedures of time and logic. Qualitative research was used, particularly phenomenology, as a research methodology involving a choice of complementary methods. Findings reveal that for ‘rapid cognition’ to manifest itself, the environment, time pressure and planning are crucial. Although ‘rapid cognition’ falls within the mode of the “right hemisphere” of the brain, evidence in the study suggests that it can be trained. The benefits of which would include a heightened awareness in decision making, thus increased appropriateness in the choices of content and form in the WSI theatre-making. The study goes further in making theorized demonstration of ‘rapid cognition’, in many ways; it offers an affirmation of the power of theatre beyond mundane entertainment.