Italian Polka is an experiment that builds a bridge between Music and the field of Costume Design. It explores the new relationship of integration and artistic possibility between Music, Costume Design, Dance, and Digital Art. This is also an attempt to participate in a new form of performing art: a combination of a live concert and a costume show. / text

With the building project of the National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center in place and the upcoming 2009 World Games being held in Kaohsiung, a variety of arts-related facilities are budding in Southern Taiwan. This trend raises the performing arts groups¡¦ expectations of and suggestions for improving the cultural environment in Southern Taiwan. The performing arts groups in Southern Taiwan are in dire need of development in an integrated and coordinated manner and the support from the government in a variety of ways. Specifically, these groups expect that the local folk traditions would be further cultivated, while internationalization would also be promoted. However, each performing arts group, because of its variety in nature, may hold unique needs and demands. Therefore, to launch a neutral organization which can coordinate and facilitate to fulfill these performing arts groups¡¦ needs may be necessary. The purposes of this study are to understand (1) whether there needs to be a service organization that is across different fields of performing arts in Southern Taiwan, (2) the roles and functions of this cross-performing arts service organization, and (3) the goals of and suggestions for this cross-performing arts service organization, on which its subsequent goals would be based. This study utilizes the Modified Delphi Method as the principal research method. By collecting and summarizing experts¡¦ opinions in relevant performing arts fields, I expect that this study would provide suggestions of the goals for this cross-performing arts service organization. The results of this study show that it is indeed important to have a cross-performing arts association in Southern Taiwan. In addition, it is necessary that the Performing Art in South Taiwan Association (PASTA) that was established in 2006 could fulfill such a role. Furthermore, when applied some management theories of non-profit organizations to identify the roles and functions of PASTA, I found that (1) as in a service role, the most important functions of PASTA are to provide advices for performing arts groups and to establish performing arts related database; (2) as an environmental reformer, PASTA should conduct environmental researches and make suggestions to improve the performing arts policies; (3) as a policy monitor, PASTA should promote the performing arts market liberalization and negotiate to improve the adequate legislation of performing arts; (4) as a public interest protector, PASTA should proactively obtain sponsorship for performing arts; and (5) as a social educator, PASTA should creative opportunities for its members for continuing education and professional development.

Since there is very little scientific research about directing children and foremost about directingchildren in professional productions, like Stockholm stadsteater, was my purpose with this bacheloressay to find work methods that directors use when they work with child actors in professionalproductions. With this bachelor essay I wanted to give practitioners in the world of theater tools forhow to work with children in professional theater, as well as increase the interest for furtherresearch in this subject. To accomplish this purpose I have gathered material from the production of Billy Elliot at MalmöOpera, made observations of the same production at Stockholms stadsteater and interviewed thedirector of the production, Ronny Danielsson and director and children ambassador Suzanne Osten.The study is made from a perspective of the post modern child and also from a so called child perspective on the art of directing and working with children in theater. My conclusions from my studies are that when working as a director with child actors you need tothink about motivation and stimulating the children in their development, and support them in theirwork with analyzing the play, as well as give them tools to help them find their emotionalconnection. If the children loose their interest in acting the director need to be there to give thechildren new challenges. It is important to give positive feedback and use a language that thechildren understand and use body language and image work to clarify the directions as well asletting the children have some time for rest and play. This is only one example of how directors work with child actors in professional productions. Frommy interviews, observations and the previous research that I have studied, have I discovered thatdirectors sometimes are in agreement and sometimes not. To further answer my questions moreresearch into the director’s way of working with children would be needed. I therefor hope that Ithrough this essay have contributed with increasing the interest of further research into this subject.

In the spring of 2023, Kungliga Operan in Stockholm, Sweden premiered their production of Stephen Sondheim's famous musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This study aims to analyze this production in regards to Mattias Fhyr's definition of the Gothic. It analyzes what gothic signs and themes are recognizable in the Kungliga Operan production of the musical and how they manifest on stage. The study applies the qualitative method of performance analysis, which uses a combination of semiotics and hermeneutics to analyze live performances. Semiotics is also used as the theoretical foundation of this essay. Fhyr's definition specifies that a gothic text depicts subjective worlds, that lack higher order and is characterized by an atmosphere of decay, destruction, and irresolvability, and that it contains labyrinthine qualities. Earlier research also shows that the Gothic can be found in almost all media, including theater. This study illustrates how this performance of Sweeney Todd contains and expresses the above mentioned themes. It also discusses the gothic genre's relationship with opera and comedy and how they are relevant in the performance. It explores the characters monstrous depictions, and examines different familial relations and themes in the musical, characteristic of the gothic genre. The study concludes that the Gothic can be found in the musical's set design and fictional locations, in the mood and atmosphere mostly created by the score, in the characters and their actions, as well as in the story itself.

”Blessed be those without pretense”: A hermeneutic-semiotic analysis of the institutionally produced storytelling theatre of Västerbotten is a bachelor thesis in Performance Studies. The study aims to examine and define the aesthetic and commonly occurring themes of the institutionally produced storytelling theatre of Västerbotten, and to discuss the representation of the citizens of Västerbotten on stage, which ideals and characteristics are desirable and which are not. The theoretical framework of this study is supported by ethnological and sociological theories about storytelling and the method used is performance analysis based on semiotics and hermeneutics. Seven performances between the years 1998-2021 are deconstructed and analyzed. The results show several reoccurring and common features of the storytelling theatre of Västerbotten, such as the shifting between the storyteller's present moment and the time period of the story, the important role music plays in the telling of the story and the common setting of the farming societies of the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Other reoccurring themes are those of Christianity, socialism, food, farm animals, and squalor. The ideal characteristics identified were honesty, integrity, and a good work ethic. There is an ambition for cultural preservation present within the genre and a lack of representation of minorities.

This thesis is confronting literature on art and peace and on peace education with reflections of young performing artists. The artists have been interviewed on their experiences in theatre, music and dancing. From comparing the interview outcomes with the literature this thesis is trying to add an artist’s perspective to existing knowledge of cooperation of art and peace. The research concludes that within the examined performing artists’ reflections, there are similarities and differences to the literature detectable, which might indicate possibilities and concerns for the cooperation of art and peace and the use of performing arts in peace education. It also indicates that there is a lot more room for further research.

Inom det dramapedagogiska fältet är området skapande för skapandets egen skull inte så framträdande i forskningen. Det finns mer forskning kring barn och elever - och drama - jämfört med forskning som beskriver vuxnas deltagande. Undersökningen har som syfte att skapa förståelse för hur vuxna deltagare kan uppleva en kurs i improvisationsteater. Undersökningen har narrativ metod och deltagarna har intervjuats och data samlats in genom deltagarnas skriftliga berättelser. Frågorna som ställts är Vad är improvisationsteater?, Vad händer med dig på improvisationsteatern? och Vilken betydelse kan kursen i improvisationsteater ha för dig i ditt liv i övrigt? Undersökningen är fenomenologisk och hermeneutisk vilket betyder att det är  själva essensen av improvisationsteater som är central - vad kan improvisationsteater vara? Vilken betydelse har improvisationsteatern för deltagarna? Undersökningen är praxisnära och det empiriska materialet får stort utrymme. Kursen beskrivs som en egen verklighet, en oas - där vad som helst kan hända. Deltagarna får vara spontana och agera utan manus - och ett exempel på ett förlopp är ”från en dyster begravningsscen, till en familjemiddag och så kommer plötsligt kungen in och domderar”. Forskningsresultatet visar på en spretig, mångfacetterad - eller rik - bild när det gäller improvisationsteaterns betydelse för deltagarna. Deltagarna tillskriver kursen i improvisationsteater att den är alltifrån kul och en roligt lek till att den bidrar till ”modet att vara som jag är”, att ”släppa oro och stress” eller ”stå ut med vardagen”.

本研究之主要目的，乃以生活型態為研究主軸，透過瞭解表演藝術觀賞者人口統計資料、自我監控、藝術觀感，來探討其與觀賞次數、媒體選擇、消息來源、考慮因素等觀賞行為的關係，提供政府單位與藝術團體在行銷上的參考。研究的另一目的，則在重新編製適合台灣社會使用的生活型態量表，以強調「活動」構面，來有效衡量出消費者真實的生活型態。 　　在研究方法方面，本研究使用問卷調查法，以兩廳院表演藝術觀眾資料庫為抽樣母體進行系統抽樣，總計獲得有效樣本483份，有效問卷率為30.43%。研究所使用的統計方法包括次數分配、平均數、標準差、因素分析、信度分析、單因子多變量變異數分析、皮爾森積差相關分析及典型相關分析。 　　本研究主要結論如後： 　　一、由483份有效樣本發現，表演藝術觀賞者多為年輕、高教育程度者，並以女性所佔比例較高，多數未參加政黨及宗教信仰，台灣省籍（閩南人）佔多數，身份以上班族、學生、公教人員為主，每月所得以二萬元到四萬元居多，可自由支配於觀賞表演藝術活動的全額，則以一至三千元居多，其中近八成有過學習藝術的經驗。 　　二、藝術觀感經因素分析後，分為「機會學習藝術休閒」、「普及藝術、企業贊助」、「參與注意藝術活動」、「陶冶心性、藝術會友」，整體而言，表演藝術觀賞者的藝術觀感程度很高。 　　三、生活型態經因素分析後分為十六個因素，其中表演藝術觀賞者最同意「閱讀書報雜誌」、「加強藝文交流」、「聆聽流行歌曲、注意歌壇動態」，最不同意「觀看注意職籃棒賽」、「滿足現況、敦親睦鄰」、「追求都會休閒娛樂」的生活方式。 　　四、在表演藝術實際觀賞次數方面，觀賞較多依次為「西洋古典音樂」、「舞台劇」、「芭蕾舞、現代舞」，偏好排序亦同。 　　五、在觀賞相關因素方面，消息來源以「平面文宣」及「親友同學」為主，考慮因素除「注重演出內容水準」及「注重演出時間地玷」外，也相當「注重專家評語、媒體推薦」；媒體選擇方面，報紙以藝文版、生活旅遊版、頭版等閱讀比例較高，電視以名片欣賞、新聞、文化藝文節目觀賞比例較高，廣播則以音樂節目收聽較多。 　　六、在人口統計變項與生活型態的關係方面，發現性別、年齡、婚友狀況、教育程度、職業、所得、藝術經驗不同，確實在生活型態上有所差異。 　　七、在人口統計變項與實際觀賞次數的關係方面，除教育程度、藝術經驗外，性別、年齡、婚友狀況、職業、所得不同，在生活型態上有所差異。 　　八、在自我監控、藝術觀感與生活型態的關係方面，發現自我監控程度越高者，越傾向「參與藝文靈修活動」、「採取行動．保持身材」、「規畫生活、滿意安排」、「到戶外運動、與朋友相聚」；而藝術觀感程度越佳者，對藝術越有正面評價。 　　九、在自我監控與觀賞行為的關係方面，發現與實際觀賞次數的相關解釋力不足，但與觀賞相關因素的關係中，自我監控程度越高者，越常閱讀國際版、收看文化藝文節目，越注意「大型海報」、「藝文界朋友」、「專業雜誌」等消息來源。 　　十、在藝術觀感與觀賞行為的關係方面，發現藝術觀感程度越高者，越常觀賞西洋古典音樂、舞台劇、芭蕾及現代舞；越常閱讀藝文版、文教新聞版，也越常收看文化藝文節目，收聽古典音樂節目，而「大型海報」、「藝文界朋友」、「專業雜誌」是其主要消息來源，「演出水準」、「演出曲目、舞碼、劇碼」、「專家評語」、「媒體推薦」是主要考慮因素。 　　十一、在生活型態與觀賞行為的關係方面，與實際觀賞次數可抽出三組顯著典型相關，與媒體選擇可分別就報紙、電視、廣播抽取典型相關，與消息來源可抽出三組顯著的典型相關，與考慮因素則可抽取出兩組顯著的典型相關。

Studiens övergripande syfte är att undersöka förutsättningarna för ämnet teater/drama inom kulturskolan. Till grund för uppsatsen ligger tre fokusgruppsamtal med lärare i teater/drama i kulturskolan i en svensk stad samt ett stödjande dokument för kulturskolorna i samma stad och ett styrdokument för Norges kulturskola. Allt material har bearbetats och granskats utifrån en socialkonstruktivistisk ansats genom diskursanalytiska glasögon.  Informanterna är eniga om att ämnet teater/drama i kulturskolan i Staden inte betraktas som en konstform, utan huvudsakligen som verktyg och metod. De beskriver en verksamhet som har knappa resurser att nå konstnärlig höjd och beskriver ett ämne som på grund av okunskap kring praktikens tidskrävande processer är marginaliserat i kulturskolans verksamhet. Det framgår att ämnet är i stort behov av att formuleras verbalt. Det tycks nödvändigt att skapa en gemensam terminologi för att möjliggöra en konstruktiv kommunikation mellan lärare i teater/drama och chefer i syfte att utveckla en hållbar verksamhet.

The fundamental question in this study is what elements from my folk music back ground will I bring into my work when I aim to articulate a new sound? I’m a singer, composer and choir conductor based in the folk music tradition.    After a while my research question grew into three directions: composing, shaping of voice and influences from other fields of art.    To re-orientate in my artistic practice I have projected my musical ideas on a fantasy world. The purpose is to find new ways of composing that can be both recognized as folk music and at the same time different from what I used to call my tradition. At the start a fictional world was created with a storyline, and inhabitants with a backstory. This narrative has remained my research ground though the whole project. After some time the ensemble side of the project grew and the solo project diminished.    A new ensemble, Stormsvalan, was formed and interactive collaborative methods became more central. My goal was to create space for both individual and collective work in our performance, in a way that is sprung from traditional music. Together we did twohree live performances, video documentations and a studio recording.    The findings of my study is the long term development of voice personas, and how a fantasy narrative influences performance and ensemble work. In the ensemble we can go further to explore a new soundscape that belongs to my fictional world of new folk music. The findings has arised new questions about metamorphose, voice shaping, music bridge building and the process of artistic research.