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Blog Post 7

1. What specifically stood out for you in the Boal reading? What is your response to that? (Give 2 examples)

The first thing that stood out to me within the Boal reading was the overall method of using the exercises and games mentioned with a group of lower class, disadvantaged communities to allow them to express their views on the world and people around them. For example, the man using a photograph of the local river to emphasise the dangers of living near the common rising waters and the 'consequent loss of human lives' (p.99) opened my eyes as to how fortunate I am to be living more comfortably and without such a constant risk and worry. This gives them a chance to portray their reality compared to the reality of someone like me, from a completely different culture and a higher socioeconomic status and class. It caused me to think of how people would assume that it is only an educational form of theatre for the purpose of the participants, but in cases like these the facilitators can be educated just as much, if not more, through the participants responses and varying views on aspects of life compared to their own. Everything mentioned above made me question the extent to which the participants' lives are changed and improved based on what they learn from these workshops.

The second thing that stood out to me within the Boal reading was the impact that the language barrier had on the facilitators work, especially after learning of the 'verified existence of 45 different languages in that region' (p.96), yet the universal use of theatre and bodily expression helped them overcome that. This was a real eye opener as it emphasised more than anything that no matter where in the world we are from, no matter what social class we are or how much money or success we have, we are all human beings and so can all use our bodies and our physicality to communicate and learn from one another. This caused me to question why there is still such a divide between countries and classes around the world, and people that believe they are more capable than others, when everyone could just use the widespread methods of theatre and drama to communicate with each other and join together.

2. What can we learn form Boal's experience with the man's picture of home on p.100?

From this description and explanation by Boal, I learned not to assume that just because you may be a facilitator and may have years of experience within theatre and drama, the roles can't change and you cannot be questioned yourself by the participants or taken aback by the responses you may obtain. This also made me appreciate that the world is constantly changing, and things that people may be accustomed to, such as the example of the dogs protecting the humans from the rat problem, could easily be altered and affected at any moment, leaving the obvious harsh consequences to show and be dealt with. However, this is something that everyone can learn from too, as we can all have different interpretations of the same image and can all see its uniqueness in the story behind it.

3. Please explain Boal's first 2 sections briefly in your own words.

By saying 'knowing the body' (p.103), Boal is suggesting the participants should steer away from their prejudice of theatre as being an intimidating thing that you get pressured into being involved in, and instead they should start to each become independently aware of what their bodies can or cannot do and the reasons for that. For example, those that have commonalities will be able to notice this in their physicality, yet some participants will be polar opposites depending on their lifestyle and the demands of their job. The overall aim of this first stage is to make each participant aware of the reasons behind why their bodies are the way they are, and for them to acknowledge this and analyse the link between their lifestyle and the level of control they have over various parts of their body. If this stage is successful then participants should be able to rebuild their structure in the form of imitating other lifestyles, for example that of a different profession or social class.

The second stage that Boal talks about is 'making the body expressive' (p.106). By this, he is referring to challenging participants to be more aware of the parts of their bodies that they wouldn't normally pay much attention to when it comes to communicating with others around them. This also includes introducing a range of rules of different levels of difficulty that all participants may have never had to bear in mind or follow before, such as not making any noises to help them portray certain characteristics for others to pick up on and guess. This kind of game also benefits the participants when it comes to looking deeper into the methods of expression and, further on in the future, can often cause them to reflect on this experience and build on it to use in other situations, possibly proving more advantageous to them and their peers.

Bibliography:

Boal, A. (2008) Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto Press

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Blog Post 6

1. What does Freire mean by the Banking Model of Education?

Freire refers to the Banking Model of Education as the flawed system through which education transpires, where teachers are seen as 'depositors' and the students the 'depositories' (Freire, p.58). Through this, Freire emphasises that the preferred priority within this model of education is for the students to focus on what they're being told to learn, making it less likely that they will question things and want to break from the pattern they are a part of, risking becoming 'transformers of the world' (Freire, p.60). Teachers as oppressors support the Banking Model of Education because it keeps the oppressed exactly where they want them, but at the same time making it seem to the oppressed as if they cannot help being in that position and receiving that treatment. However, if the structure of oppression that Freire describes was to transform then they can, as a result, become 'beings for themselves' (Freire, p.61). Freire insinuates that humans are naturally built to constantly seek further knowledge and dig deeper into their humanity, however the Banking Model of Education does not support this inquisitiveness. Freire also describes the oppressed within the Banking Model of Education as being trapped and the oppressors as being fearful of the potential the oppressed might discover within themselves as a collective, as thinking for oneself and for the potential of transformation requires communication. Through the Banking Model of Education, Freire describes how the oppressors can also be considered as necrophilous beings, 'loving all that does not grow' (Freire, p.64), shining a clear spotlight on the fact that this method of education is one that needs to be transformed for the better.

2. Have you had experience of this type of teaching? How do you feel about it?

Within my experience throughout school, I have been taught by various teachers who definitely seemed much more inclined on getting the relevant information passed across to the students so that they have seemingly 'done their job', rather than to pass on their passion for knowledge and set a good example as a role model. As a prime example of this, it is often the most efficient way to construct lessons and keep the control over a group of students within a classroom but, in hindsight, the idea of 'all questions at the end' does now remind me of times when the teacher has forbidden any questions around the subject matter until the end of the lesson, by which point either time has run out or there has been so much information 'deposited' into the students that they can no longer remember anything that they may have initially been questioning. The educators who support and project this Banking Model of Education are often the ones who only work to follow the system and curriculum that they are employed to follow, however educators need to think outside the box and challenge both themselves and their students more in order to possibly unlock new methods of teaching and learning and overall improve the quality of education to the best of their ability.

3. How do Freire's ideas relate to Preston's ideas of critical facilitation?

One of Preston's most fitting descriptions of critical facilitation is it creating a kind of 'heightened awareness' (Preston, p.31), relating to the oppressors as having the role of a kind of observer over those metaphorically beneath them, and being very aware of the control which they hold over others. For example, in a drama setting, a critical facilitator must analyse the progress and methods of the participants in order to try and manipulate the workshop around what they need to focus on more or progress further with, and the participants should naturally follow whatever the facilitator asks them to do. This also links to Freire's ideas through the factor of the facilitator, or the 'oppressor', controlling what the participants, or the 'oppressed', learn and experience through the workshops and, ultimately, also controlling what they take away from them to reflect on in the future. Preston also describes a critical facilitator as having to understand the group's beliefs and values, creating even more of a link to the way Freire talks about the oppressors dominating the oppressed into a 'passive role' (Freire, p.60), not questioning or fighting for any kind of liberation that they might have the opportunity to access.

Bibliography:

Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: The Seabury Press.

Preston, S. (2016) Facilitation: pedagogies, practices, resistance. Bloomsbury Methuen Drama.

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Blog Post 5

1. In your own words discuss what Johnston means by the six polarities.

Johnston's description of the six polarities makes me think of every dramaturgical element having a kind of missing half that it needs in order to be fulfilled, whole and working successfully. Without these other halves, the drama and theatre that is wanting to be created will not work naturally or make any sense. Johnston describes each polarity in great detail, mainly relating things that he has experienced himself and also citing various other theatre-makers and practitioners to the circumstance of a drama workshop with a group of participants. He discusses how the participants benefit from each polarity in many ways, but also makes sure to warn about the difficulties and issues that might be produced from putting these into action. The polarities vary from elements relating more to staging and structure such as 'The Centre and The Edge' (p.32) to elements based more heavily on the participants themselves and their methods of working, such as 'The Individual and The Collective' (p.37). All in all, they intertwine and counterbalance each other, giving the facilitator and participants the full spectrum of knowledge regarding these, but the facilitator can also channel specific polarities depending on the challenges or obstacles they need to overcome.

2. Choosing one of the polarities, name a situation where a facilitator might encounter one.

A facilitator may encounter 'The Surface and The Depth' (p.28) polarity if they were in a situation where the participants were a group of inmates within a prison environment. The facilitator may be working with the same group of inmates over a period of time, introducing them to certain drama games and exercises that will increase their skills when it comes to socialising, teamwork and problem solving more creatively. After a few workshops, the facilitator may feel more drawn to working towards digging deeper into the emotional and psychological aspects of the games and exercises that the participants should be rather accustomed to at this point. The participants themselves should feel more able to make deeper connections between the games they are all equally and actively participating in and their own issues within their lives either inside or outside of prison. This also links to what Johnston says about searching beneath the surface for where 'there will always be a commonality of experience' (p.29) and how, because of the fact they have all faced the consequences of the law, the participants need to be prepared to enter difficult areas that may trigger significant memories or emotions. This situation also relates to the sixth polarity mentioned by Johnston, 'The Simple and The Complex' (p.45) as, in order to build up the momentum and confidence within the group to start digging deeper beneath the surface and start to show some vulnerabilities, the facilitator may want to start by introducing new or more complex activities to the participants, or even possibly just start to add more dimensions to each exercise to make it more challenging and, therefore, more emotionally engaging.

3. Take one of the exercises from the session with the University of Ulster students and discuss where you noticed any of the polarities in operation.

When comparing the exercises used within the workshop with Johnston's six polarities, a few of them fit into 'The Simple and The Complex'. For example, the game which consisted of various types of beans corresponding with different actions fits accurately into this particular polarity, as we started off with around six different types of beans to enact and as the exercise progressed, various others were added by different people. This obviously meant that as the game went on, there were more actions to remember, which required higher levels of concentration and gave us the opportunity to display more levels of creativity and difficulty. This particular exercise also links directly to 'The Individual and The Collective' (p.37) polarity, as there was one person directing the rest of the participants through the activity and deciding which bean to call out, clearly performing a role of leadership, but then the facilitator role quickly got passed around to other participants, allowing the previous facilitator to then become one of the active participants within the game. This supports what Johnston says about having 'a willingness to play, to be flexible. And in being led, letting any anxiety about your vulnerability being exploited, fall away.' (p.38)

Bibliography:

Johnston, C. (1998) House of Games: Making Theatre from Everyday Life. London: Nick Hern Books

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Blog Post 4

1. Is a game ever just a game in Applied Theatre?

Every game in an Applied Theatre workshop has ‘hidden objectives’ (p.19) within it. These aim to increase elements of each participant’s confidence, teamwork experience and trust in their peers, to name a few examples, and they also aim to challenge the levels of focus through various methods of involvement. Within a workshop, a game can also be a strong and clear indication to the facilitator of whether the individual participant fits into the category of ‘Constant Volunteer’, ‘Hesitant Volunteer’ or ‘Non-Volunteer’ (p.18), therefore giving them a further idea of how to gently encourage each participant to improve and develop their social and interactive skills through the means of the games. Kelly also describes how each game included within the progressive workshops aids towards each participant developing their ‘kinaesthetic learning style’ (p.17). This can be useful for their overall journey of learning in the future as it is a new and constantly evolving method of obtaining knowledge through physical activity and ‘the ability to judge your own movement in relation to your environment’ (p.17). This could be hugely beneficial for some learners who struggle with learning through academic means, and it is definitely a contrasting environment to that of a classroom.

2. How would you describe the role of a facilitator?

The role of a facilitator is that of a ‘live process’ (p.5), according to Kelly. It is the key role within a drama workshop and arguably contains just as much important knowledge and potential for progression than the roles of the participants. Kelly also describes it as a ‘constant learning curve’ (p.5), emphasising that drama workshops and its roles are always evolving and revealing new and innovative opportunities to reflect and learn from past experiences as well as past facilitators and their methods. The main feature of a facilitator, however, is to ‘act as a guide’ (p.6) for the participants present, and to influence and project the correct level of concentration, focus and energy. This may also encourage those who might have less confidence to step further out of their personal comfort zones and learn more about themselves and the various ways in which they can express themselves to others around them through the process. A facilitator is also seen as a kind of role model, subconsciously aiming to make an impression on their participants in relation to how they react in a group setting and the energy and certain characteristics they would naturally portray.

3. What is the purpose of feedback in an Applied Theatre session?

Feedback within an Applied Theatre session shows the participant that ‘their opinions will be sought, and are valid and useful’ (p.13), which speaks for itself when it comes to the amount of advantages and benefits it brings to the session. However, with the participants aware of the fact that they may be asked to respond and contribute feedback directly to their peers afterwards, it can automatically encourage them to increase their overall levels of concentration and general awareness and effort during the sessions. Having said that, not every participant will have the same level of capability or confidence so feedback can ‘offer solutions to difficulties’ (p.13), enabling the facilitator to learn where there are struggles and how the participants are willing to overcome them. This can prove vital to the continuation and progression of the workshops. Participants can also often bring up opinions or observations that the facilitator may not have considered or noticed before, which then gives them the chance to evolve the activity even further for use in the future. Overall feedback from the group of participants can be massively advantageous towards building the feeling of ensemble between them, improving their relationships and, in turn, making the workshops much more open and comfortable for them all.

Bibliography:

Kelly, D. (2014) Laying the Foundations: A Guide to Youth Drama Facilitation. National Association for Youth Drama.

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Blog Post 3

1. Describe in your own words Geese Theatres' key theories.

Geese Theatre has three very detailed key theories. Firstly, they discuss the 'social learning theory' (p.19), which describes the most effective ways that learning can take place through one of the biggest benefits of Applied theatre; interactiveness. This specific theory also includes very important elements such as guidance for instruction, modelling from all member of the group, multiple practice by the participant and, eventually, leading to real-world practice to promote more positive outcomes and experiences. Secondly, they have the 'cognitive-behavioural theory' (p.19). This is essentially the breakdown of the realisation behind why we act the way we act, also linking to how we see the world differently and the various beliefs and attitudes that we all hold within ourselves which cause our reactions to certain situations. This theory addresses specific reasons which can lead to the offending behaviour that the group of offenders may have experienced before and it also widens the view of the offender to see how their actions can have effects on the other people involved in the crime other than just themselves. Lastly, 'role theory' (p.20) overall allows everyone to have the broadened knowledge and understanding to perform various roles within their lives and to be confident with the typical characteristics that each role holds. This ultimately gives the offenders the chance to learn new roles and, as a result, their specific skills or possibly even to improve roles that they have reflected on and have decided need changing.

2. What specifically stood out for you in the Geese Theatre reading?

The first section that specifically stood out for me was when they discussed the aspect of 'making resistance part of the process' (p.25) because, typically, resistance is not seen as a positive thing at all, especially within a group of people such as offenders. Geese Theatre describe resistance as proposing a kind of 'opportunity' (p.25) to emphasise to the entire group of participants that the facilitators respect their decisions and level of involvement within the session, and they nothing is expected of them, so to speak, but encouraged more than anything. By doing this, Geese Theatre suggests that it 'allows new energy and spontaneity' (p.25) to bubble up in the participants that my have previously resisted or considered doing so, showing that a more positive and creative outlook can be fostered through initial resistance and challenging the facilitators and their questions. This section made me think about general perseverance needed to be a facilitator in institutions such as these used in the examples, and also raised the question of how overcoming that initial resistance felt for the participant in the long run, or even how it enabled the remainder of the participants to overcome that obstacle of group contribution and throw themselves into the drama.

The second section that specifically stood out for me was Geese Theatre's use of masks. Having used masks before myself, I can agree with what Geese Theatre says about the beneficial dramaturgical choices to include these in some sessions as they can draw out a deeper way of thinking and understanding yourself underneath the mask and hidden behind a barrier of some kind from others around you. When they describe the option to 'lift the mask' (p.20), that made me think about the metaphor it might pose to some of the participants once they leave prison, or whichever institution they are a part of, and rejoin society. This very commonly brings back memories and temptations that landed them in the position of an offender in the first place, yet if they channel and 'consider what thoughts, attitudes and beliefs need to change' (p.20), they can reflect on and use the knowledge and perspectives gained from the session and, as a result, avoid re-offending.

3. How does the work of Geese Theatre company join up with the wider world of Applied theatre and the idea of dominant narratives?

Geese Theatre company uses elements of Applied theatre to promote positive social change within environments such as prisons or community institutions for offenders of various degrees. This work that they portray joins up with the wider world by automatically linking to other forms of Applied theatre such as Theatre of Education, Theatre for Development and Community-based Theatre. A very dominant narrative based around prison is that offenders, who have committed a crime landing them in prison or with community services to complete, are not very likely to change their overall beliefs and views/attitudes on life, and a very high percentage of offenders will often reoffend within a year of being released, ending in a constant cycle of being in and out of trouble with the law. However, based on what Geese Theatre have written, they aim to challenge that dominant narrative and promote a great deal of change to improve offender's lives both in and out of institutions.

Bibliography:

Baim, C., Brookes, S. (2002) The Geese Theatre handbook: drama with offenders and people at risk, Waterside Press.

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Blog Post 2

1. What is meant by the term critical pedagogy?

To define quite a broad term, critical pedagogy is an approach to educating that highlights or shines a spotlight on the socio-political issues and factors more so than other forms of pedagogy might do, through the use of 'historical, social, cultural and material conditions of context' (p. 18). Critical pedagogy allows a more adaptive approach for both facilitators and participants depending on the participants and their backgrounds, cultures, social class, race and gender, for example. This approach to teaching also allows a constant analysis to take place throughout to provide a much better understanding of what the participants gain and how they may deal with the issues within the framework of the workshop, while breaking down certain 'social constructions of knowledge' (p. 21) that have been produced.

2. What does Preston mean when she refers to the 'cultural context' of a group?

Preston describes the cultural context as the culture in which the participants can often share a commonality of some kind, in her case being a day centre for people with mental health issues and learning difficulties. Preston goes on to explain through her own experiences how the cultural context can be both a useful and difficult thing to adapt to and work with as a facilitator. It can be made difficult because each individual participant can often be made to feel like they are similar to the others, whereas they can still feel strongly and passionately about the varied differences they have in other categories within their lives. However, on the other hand, the cultural context can work as an advantage to the facilitator as it gives them a clear idea of what to base the overall topic of the workshop around or certain approaches that would clearly be more helpful in order to make it as effective as possible. In the example given, Preston refers to some of the participants with mental health issues as showing 'denial, resistance or acceptance' (p. 20) to take part in the context of the workshop, therefore allowing the cultural context to implicate them in various ways. Additionally, towards the end of the chapter Preston cites a piece of work from McLaren (2008) where he states that 'We do not stand before the social world; we live in the midst of it' (p. 63), suggesting that the cultural context in this day and age is something that is constantly changing and, with us being in the centre of it, also altering our actions and decisions to make them more creative.

3. Why is critical awareness important for a facilitator?

Critical awareness is very important as it allows the facilitator to be aware of each participant's varying views and cultures and also helps to gauge an understanding of the group's beliefs and values which then, in turn, helps to adapt the workshop to their specific needs and characteristics. To be aware critically is vital as a facilitator, especially when you are undergoing more of the 'dominant psychoanalytical or individualizing and psychological frames' (p. 31) that can determine how you progress with that specific group. Preston also describes it as creating a 'heightened awareness' (p. 31) that the facilitator needs to pick up on when analysing the dramaturgical and political choices that will help to maintain the success and effectiveness of the pedagogy.

Bibliography:

McLaren, P. (2008) 'Critical Pedagogy: A look at the Major Concepts', The Critical Pedagogy Reader. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.

Preston, S. (2016) Facilitation: pedagogies, practices, resistance. Bloomsbury Methuen Drama.

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Blog Post 1

1. How would you describe applied theatre to someone who has not read this introduction or experienced applied theatre in other ways?

Applied theatre is an overall 'umbrella term' (p.6) to describe an interwoven and collective set of various forms of theatre and theatrical practices that all have a relatively similar goal; to enhance and encourage thought and action about socio-political issues of both the present, past and future. Prendergast and Saxton refer to applied theatre having the 'intent to reveal more clearly the way the world is working' (p.8), whether that be either bringing something to the participants attention and educating them or building upon their already existing knowledge and understanding. In this particular form of theatre, participants are seen as equal to the facilitators in the methods of actively including them in the performance process rather than the participants just sitting, watching and seeming somewhat 'quiet and in the dark' (p.9). As an obvious result of this, applied theatre's focus is heavily based more around the process of improvisation and experimentation within all participants and facilitators than the actual outcome and final performance of the piece.

2. Re-read the thumbnail descriptions of applied theatre practices at the beginning of the chapter. Which of these types of applied theatre most draws your interest? What is it that attracts you to this particular form?

Some elements of both Theatre in Education and Prison Theatre interest me the most because they are based around portraying both a story and a lesson of a life that the participants may have never considered or thought of, or have thought of but haven't been able to truly understand. I could see myself working in this particular area of applied theatre because I feel that giving the participants time to reflect and decide what they think of the situation is crucial in allowing them to fully understand the lives and bigger issues of other from all over the world and from different races, sexualities or cultures that they may not be accustomed to. I am also interested in these particular types of applied theatre because they allow the participants to create their own ideal endings to the piece they have become a part of, which in turn is highly likely to motivate them to continue this further and help them to realise that they can create change themselves by making certain issues more apparent internationally through a creative means such as this.

Bibliography:

Prendergast, M. & Saxton, J. (2009) Applied theatre: international case studies and challenges for practice. Bristol: Intellect.