We never talk about our work in this way : a practice-led exploration of the experiences of applied drama and theatre practitioners working in Gauteng and the Western Cape
Date
2023-12
Authors
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toegepaste drama en teater word dikwels gebruik as 'n benadering om beraadslagings oor kwessies van sosiale transformasie te fasiliteer. Dit gaan ook daaroor om te getuig van die lyding van ander, om ruimte te skep vir die andersdenkende stemme van die onderdruktes, om gemeenskappe te ondersteun om sin te maak van hul ervarings en om aksie vir sosiale geregtigheid te inspireer. Hiermee saam kom baie voorbereiding aan die kant van die praktisyn. Ten spyte van die hoeveelheid geestelike en emosionele arbeidspraktisyns wat in die voorbereiding vir intervensies belê, beklemtoon pogings om praktyk te verbeter dikwels die metodes, tegnieke en impak op gemeenskappe. Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die ervarings van praktisyns wat in verskeie gemeenskapsomgewings werksaam is, hoofsaaklik in die Gauteng en die Wes-Kaap provinsies. Daar word ook na vorige ervarings van werk wat in Mpumalanga onderneem is verwys. Eerder as om op gemeenskappe as primêre ontvangers van die gevolge van toegepaste drama en teater te fokus, poog die studie om praktisyns se interpretasie van hul werk binne verskeie kontekste in Suid-Afrika te verstaan. Idees van plek en ruimte vorm dus deel van die ondersoek. Hierdie studie is geensins 'n poging om 'n volledige voorstelling van praktisyn-ervarings in die land te verskaf nie, maar hoop nietemin om hoe hul ervarings elemente van hul praktyk inlig, te belig, soos die uitvoering van intervensies, onderwerpareas waarop uitgebrei moet word en grade van ondersteuning wat in die werk nodig is.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Applied drama and theatre is often used as an approach to facilitate deliberations about issues of social transformation. It is also about bearing witness to the suffering of others, creating space for the dissenting voices of the oppressed, supporting communities to make sense of their experiences and to inspire action for social justice. With this comes a lot of preparation on the part of the practitioner. Despite the amount of mental and emotional labour practitioners invest into preparing for interventions, however, efforts to improve on practice often emphasises the methods, techniques and impact on communities. This dissertation enquires into the experiences of practitioners working in various community settings mainly in the Gauteng and the Western Cape provinces. Past experiences of work undertaken in Mpumalanga were also referenced. Rather than focusing on communities as primary recipients of the effects of applied drama and theatre, the study attempts to understand practitioners’ interpretation of their work within various contexts in South Africa. Ideas of place and space therefore form part of the investigation. This study is in no way an attempt to provide a full representation of practitioner experiences in the country, but nonetheless hopes to illuminate how their experiences inform elements of their practice such as execution of interventions, topic areas to be expanded on, and degrees of support required in the work.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Applied drama and theatre is often used as an approach to facilitate deliberations about issues of social transformation. It is also about bearing witness to the suffering of others, creating space for the dissenting voices of the oppressed, supporting communities to make sense of their experiences and to inspire action for social justice. With this comes a lot of preparation on the part of the practitioner. Despite the amount of mental and emotional labour practitioners invest into preparing for interventions, however, efforts to improve on practice often emphasises the methods, techniques and impact on communities. This dissertation enquires into the experiences of practitioners working in various community settings mainly in the Gauteng and the Western Cape provinces. Past experiences of work undertaken in Mpumalanga were also referenced. Rather than focusing on communities as primary recipients of the effects of applied drama and theatre, the study attempts to understand practitioners’ interpretation of their work within various contexts in South Africa. Ideas of place and space therefore form part of the investigation. This study is in no way an attempt to provide a full representation of practitioner experiences in the country, but nonetheless hopes to illuminate how their experiences inform elements of their practice such as execution of interventions, topic areas to be expanded on, and degrees of support required in the work.
Description
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.