Applied Theatre

This thesis investigates artworks born at the convergence of digital media and contemporary performance, and the ways in which technology impacts the field of performance. The term digital media refers to technology that produces digitised (as opposed to analogue) content such as text, audio, video, graphics and metadata. Contemporary performance refers to artworks that combine different artistic traditions—experimental theatre and dance, video art, visual art, music composition and performance art—in a single performance event. The convergence of these two fields has produced a significant body of technological works of art that challenge and reconfigure traditional conventions in contemporary performance. This thesis examines the impact of digital media on the ways performance is created, received and experienced, and the extent to which media open up new possibilities for creative expression and may generate new art forms.
I mapped the field by defining three large categories that mark the heterogeneous landscape of technologically enhanced performances today, namely multimedia theatre, telematic performance and pervasive performance. Methodologically, I combined hermeneutic methods of interpretation and reflection with academic forms of practical inquiry, combining textual analysis of relevant works from each of the three categories—such as Ghost Road (Murgia and Pauwels 2012), make-shift (Jamieson and Crutchlow 2010) and Rider Spoke (Blast Theory 2007)—with the practical development and analysis of a pervasive performance experiment titled Chain Reaction (Pérez 2009 and 2011). Theoretically, the project is interdisciplinary, bringing together performance theory, digital media studies, experimental game scholarship and experiential art documentation.
In discussing the ways in which digital media impact contemporary performance, I identify a number of traditional conventions in the field of theatre and performance that are currently being challenged. These are in the areas of audience participation, use of space, actor role, rehearsal and staging, and performance documentation. Central arguments in the thesis are, on the one hand, that researchers, critics and practitioners must look beyond the visionary expressions of aesthetic potential in order to grasp the real state of technologically enhanced art forms. On the on the other hand, it is only by considering both, the horizon-pushing high-tech along with the purpose-orientated low-tech, that a more grounded understanding of the present impact of developing technology on art culture can and should be reached.

Stand-up Comedy has more to do with teaching than you might think. Is there more to Stand-up Comedy than just 'being funny'? what can teachers learn from interactive performance? How does the experience of Stand-up Comedy relate to: Oracy, Formative assessment and Dialogic learning?

A central challenge in short-term study abroad programs is making sure that students have meaningful interactions with people abroad, something that scholarship has shown to be tremendously beneficial, both for linguistic gains and for cross-cultural exchange. This article examines the potential benefits of collaborative mapping for encouraging student interaction with local residents, while also considering the value of spatial analysis to the interdisciplinary aims of a course centered on theatre and French Studies. One author is a cultural anthropologist and professor of French, and the other is a professor of theatre. The course explores theatre as a window into French society and culture in three distinct geographic settings (Avignon and the rural Vaucluse, Marseille, and Paris). Space is important to its study of theatrical literature, of theatrical form and site-specific performance, and of the varied meanings of theatre to people living in diverse social environments, including rural settings and neighborhoods in urban centers and peripheries. Written prior to implementing the project for the 2017 version of the course, this article examines a mapping project intended to fully exploit the opportunities of study abroad for student engagement with other perspectives abroad, and for inter-disciplinary dialogue and exchange. The increasing use of GIS-based maps and visualizations as pedagogical tools has occurred parallel to the expansion of study abroad in higher education.

In this chapter, we draw upon our experience as researchers within the Playful Engagement Project, aimed at identifying the efficacy of applied theatre practices as a means of enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with mid to advanced dementia, to consider how normative assumptions within applied theatre need to be re-evaluated in such contexts. Based on these discussions, we share our thoughts about the ways in which applied theatre practice with people in the final phases of their lives, challenged our ideas of aesthetic intentionality and brought about new understandings of the geographies of hope.

In our individual and shared work in other contexts, including with people from refugee backgrounds, prisoners, school students and soldiers returning from war zones, there always appeared to be an unspoken belief that the work was in some way connected with notions of hope. However, as the Playful Engagement Project progressed, we began to wonder if, within dementia contexts, the notion of hope needed to be re-framed.  To do this, we stepped back and considered two key aspects of applied theatre work: participation and purposes.

Document elaborat per:
Jordi Baltà, Xavier Úcar Marina Escoda, Mercè Mariné, Anna Solanilla, Jordi Basora, Pepelú Guardiola, Maxime Iannarelli, Montse Iranzo, Eulàlia Conangla i Josan Domínguez,

Aquest document recull informació sobre el projecte "Avaluació de les arts escèniques aplicades. Una proposta metodològica" que es va presentar en el 3r Fòrum d'Arts Escèniques Aplicades, organitzat per l'Observatori d'Arts Escèniques Aplicades de l'Institut del Teatre.

This paper considers performances of belonging in two participatory theatre projects. The Traction Youth Ensemble is an outreach program offered by Queensland Theatre in the city of Logan - recently portrayed in the media as a hub for crime and race “riots”. Traction was established to counteract some of these negative stereotypes, to promote social cohesion, and to fill a gap in high quality theatre opportunities for young people there. Barambah Mission Talk is a theatre performance being developed with women prisoners in Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre (BWCC). The work is based on Ruth Hegarty’s memoir Is That You Ruthie? which describes her time growing up in Barambah Aboriginal Mission (now Cherbourg Community) in the 1930s and 40s. Many of the women in BWCC have strong connections to Barambah, as well as other Aboriginal missions around Australia, where their families were forcibly removed and institutionalised as part of the Stolen Generations. Both of these projects generate performances of belonging in often-fraught political and social contexts. Barambah Mission Talk contains performances of belonging and not belonging in carceral sites, where there exists simultaneously a strong sense of home, and the anguish of separation and displacement. The Traction Youth Ensemble offers 50 young theatre makers in Logan a unique place to belong, developing their voice and identity, and leading ultimately to positive forms of social and civic participation. In both projects, there is a sense of vitality and hope, generated by the performers’ engagement with their own evolving sense of story and culture.

Due to the ephemeral nature of performance, material evidence for the content, context, and intention behind ancient Egyptian dramatic texts is extremely limited. What remains are the texts themselves (often in pieces) and iconographic evidence such as that found on the walls of the Temple of Horus at Edfu. There, illustrations of dramatic scenes appear in relief alongside the text of what translator H. W. Fairman entitled “The Triumph of Horus: An Ancient Egyptian Sacred Drama.” Inscribed sometime during the second century BCE, the Edfu text refers to a dramatic reenactment of the battle between Horus and Seth for the Egyptian throne, a performance tradition attested more than fifteen hundred years earlier on the stelae of Ikhernofret and the pharaoh Neferhotep I. For this reason, Fairman and others have referred to “The Triumph of Horus” as the oldest play in the world, suggesting its potential as a significant contribution to the early theatre history canon. In December of 2019, theatre students at the University of Maryland performed a staging of “The Triumph of Horus” as well as another important dramatic text from the Late Period, “The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys,” as translated by R. O. Faulkner. The intention of this production was to determine if embodied practice could reveal new ways of understanding and transmitting knowledge about ancient Egyptian dramatic performance. This paper will discuss the development, rehearsal process, and outcome of this unique production, incorporating research methodology from the fields of theatre historiography and performance studies.

S filozofkou Alicí Koubovou o performanci, společenské roli kultury a etice péče. Jakou roli hraje téma performance ve filosofii? Je možné se performancí v její tělesnosti a situačnosti věnovat v akademickém prostředí? Má performance reflexivně-kritickou, nebo transformativní funkci a za jakých podmínek? Jaký vztah má kultura k demokracii? Jaké byly různé reakce na pandemii v kulturní oblasti a proč? Co jme zjistili o tělu a digitalitě? Jaká je budoucnost kultury, péče a financování? Strana 3-7.

The imperative of peaceful coexistence for enhanced sustainable development cannot be overemphasized. However, this ideal has eluded many nations of the world, Nigeria inclusive, as is evident in the several conflicts witnessed across the globe. In Nigeria in particular, political squabbles, religious crises, inter – ethnic conflicts and interpersonal skirmishes are commonplace and seemingly characterize our national life, unfortunately though. This has unarguably slowed the pace of development in all spheres of our national life, as well as wounded the psyche of the citizenry. It is therefore imperative that this anomaly is corrected using every acceptable medium in order to reposition the nation on its rightful developmental pedestal amongst the comity of nations. This paper underscores the need for entrenching the peace culture in our national life and projects the efficacy of the theatre in doing this. The idea is to utilize the various arts of the theatre, which is a social force, and harnessing them to confront the people with the intransigent realities that shape our very existence. The paper expresses the conviction that through the theatre, the people will be influenced to take a positive stance in the quest to create an enabling environment for sustainable development.

Femi Osofisan has a prodigious output of drama, poetry, and critical essays. His plays are regularly performed in Nigeria, and in other parts of Africa, Europe and the United States.

Although there are many dissertations and scholarly articles on Osofisan's drama, full length studies are somewhat few and far between, despite his stature as a major African playwright.

In my forthcoming book, The Theatre of Femi Osofisan, I examine in-depth the world of Femi Osofisan's characters, underlining not just their main pre-occupations but how Osofisan's craft and politics impact upon their world.

The current essay is a critical summation of my exploration of Femi Osofisan's theatre.

This introductory essay proposes a focus on some of the arguments in the field – what is ‘arts behind bars’? What are some of the intentions, and why would people do it? It also signals the range of practices that are to be found – from the development of needlework in male prisons through to participatory arts projects with young people in prisons to collaborative stage shows. Artists working in criminal justice have a wide range of intentions. For few, there might be a frisson of the danger and caged energy behind bars that is stimulating to creativity and could add something to their own creative process. Rather than art for prisoners: professional artists staging a show or doing an unplugged music event in a prison, there are a great number of projects that move towards forms of art created with and by prisoners, thereby aligning it with a long history of social and participatory arts. Theoretically, then, the arts behind bars are informed by critical pedagogies as much as the specific disciplinary approaches. This model seeks to build critical consciousness and confidence in mastery as well as induction into the discipline of learning any skill, for the purposes of liberating through knowledge. In arts behind bars, the knowledge base might include literacy outcomes, but the learning is often communal, and about creative self-expression. 

The practitioners of arts behind bars have two driving intentions. Either they seek to engage more people with their art form, and are willing to work in a range of contexts; or they are committed to social justice and hope to use the art form towards additional aims of generating understanding and redressing some of the inequalities experienced by prisoners. It is necessary to consider what new perspectives are offered to the subject of arts in criminal justice by thinking about how wider resources, culture, and artistic paradigms affect perceptions of the value of interventions. This highlights the need for awareness of those artists who choose to work in prisons of the moral and ethical questions raised by bringing art to the system.

(2017) “A Critical Introduction to Arts Behind Bars.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Crime, Media, and Popular Culture. Edited by Michelle Brown. New York: Oxford University Press.

This paper examines uses of theatre for practice-based, collaborative, research. It brings a review of existing work and reflections on my own practice into dialogue with participatory geographies, studies of affect and geographies of bodily difference. This demonstrates in-depth and well-justified relationships between forms of practice and the spatial ways of knowing they engage; the surfacing of otherwise background conditions for critique and intervention; and relations between doing and thinking, as well as collaborating partners, that can open a field of possibilities. This is significant for the broader development and assessment of 'creative' or 'artful' collaborations in human geography, as I summarise in conclusion.

Apprendre des langues ne fait pas seulement appel aux aspects formels de la pensée, mais relève également de l'imaginaire et des rêves qui nourrissent les cultures. Les langues partagent avec les enseignements artistiques des traits et des objectifs communs, c'est ce que montrent les articles présentés dans cet ouvrage. Le lecteur y trouvera des comptes-rendus de recherche sur des pratiques innovantes, des analyses de partenariats entre des enseignants et des artistes : danseurs, musiciens, comédiens ou plasticiens, ainsi que des apports théoriques sur la question.

We believe strongly in the value of new participatory research methods as a way of stimulating high-quality learning of facts and skills, and awareness of new attitudes to improve people’s sexual health. Such methods would include mapping, ranking and scoring, ‘problem trees’, transect walks, time-lines, daily and seasonal schedules, pie -charts, flow charts and Venn diagrams. However, many of these methods require good facilitation, which is not always available.

The aim of this dissertation is to provide the reader with a clearer picture of the interplay between the sociocultural and psychological factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders, and to suggest that theatre – and in particular physical theatre and clowning – could offer some valuable support to other forms of therapy in helping eating-disordered people address the issues that are at the root of their problematic relationship with food and body.

En Antígona podemos ver como el papel de la mujer a través de confrontarse ante la decisión de respetar las leyes divinas o seguir las leyes humanas toma gran fuerza, puesto que la mujer en el siglo V a. C. no tenía gran importancia como integrante de la sociedad, dado que no participaba en la toma de decisiones, ni tenía un lugar destacado jerárquicamente, como el hecho de no pertenecer a la ciudadanía. Es por ello que la decisión de Antígona de respetar la ley divina ante la de los hombres sin importar las consecuencias que este hecho le acarreara toma gran importancia al ser un contraste destacado en cuanto a la sociedad en la que se desarrolla la historia.

Nel nome della ricerca pedagogica e artistica, si propone al lettore di entrare e di conoscere il progetto Teatro Scuola Vedere Fare perché la sua complessità e articolazione, nonché la sua storia e quindi quella del gruppo teatrale "Le Nuvole" insieme a quella di "Casa del contemporaneo", "Agita", "Casa dello spettatore" e "Fondazione spettacolo arte territorio", danno l'idea evidente di un lavoro di equìpe, di un necessario lavoro corale, che ha l'ambizione di farsi veicolo di innovazione sociale. Un progetto che dà opportunità di ripensare alle due macchine dell'apprendimento, Teatro e Scuola, e di aprirne le architetture e gli orizzonti, lasciando che respirino e si muovano verso La strada che non andava in nessun posto raccontata da Gianni Rodari, perché si sa che "certi tesori esistono soltanto per chi batte per primo una strada nuova". Il nostro tesoro è la formazione al tempo di un Nuovo Umanesimo, la formazione che può generare trasformazione ma che esiste solo se se ne diventa parte.

Ecoscenography seeks to design temporary event spaces and
places, with a focus on positive contribution to social and
ecological function and evolution. This paper explores the
potential of ecoscenography to contribute to creative
placemaking, using a practice-led case study (The Living Stage
NYC) that examines how community-engaged performance
spaces can foster dialogue and build social-ecological capital. The
Living Stage is a global initiative which combines stage design,
horticulture and community engagement to create recyclable,
biodegradable, biodiverse and edible performance spaces. Part
theatre, part garden and part growing demonstration, the New
York project took place at Meltzer Park on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan in collaboration with a vibrant cohort of linguistically
and ethnically diverse seniors, fifth graders and neighbouring
residents. Over the course of six weeks, the asphalt lined park was
transformed into a space of lush greenery, along with vibrant art
installations and eclectic performances that celebrated the
community’s identity and potential. Drawing upon literature from
placemaking, expanded scenography and ecoscenography, this
paper explores the opportunities and challenges of creative
placemaking, as well as the changing role of the scenographer in
seeking out possibilities for political, social, cultural and ecological
revitalisation beyond the confines of the theatre building.

Revealing a substantial amount of evidence hitherto missed by pertinent literature reviews, this article sets out to offer a critical appraisal of the empirical research literature on the contributions arts-based programmes may make to the process of desistance from crime. The article begins by focusing on evaluations of arts-based programmes run by practitioners inside prisons, and their effects in terms of three sets of developments that are thought to advance desistance: psychological and attitudinal changes; increased learning capacity and motivations; and social skills building. Our appraisal then proceeds to address the effects of arts-based prison programmes after participants’ release into the community; a theme that has received very limited research attention to date, and even less attention in extant literature reviews. In the next section of the article, we briefly discuss our own evaluation of an arts-based programme that is aimed at prolonging and enhancing desistance through providing former prisoners with opportunities to continue engaging with the arts after release. We conclude with a few short remarks as to the lessons that can be drawn from this article for the design of arts-based programmes in the field of criminal justice.

Teaching and stand-up comedy are both forms of communicative performance. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a broad investigation of the similarities between the two; with a particular focus on the means, procedures and the role of the ‘performer’’ within these communicative events. This paper originally acted as a grounding for my master’s thesis: ‘Can stand-up comedy techniques aid effective teaching practice?’ and now provides a platform for future study.

The distinction between stand-up comedy performance and other forms of drama / public performance is that stand-up comedy requires the audience to become participants; unlike the comic actor, the stand-up comedian will break the fourth wall to create direct interaction. Fundamentally, both stand-up comedy and teaching requires constant interaction between performer and ‘audience’ in order to be successful. In both disciplines, the audience is not passive, they are active agents of change – they are ‘spect-actors’ [Boal].

The methodology of this paper is to utilise both educational and humour theory as well as case studies of teaching sessions and observational analysis of stand-up comedy performance to discern the interrelationship between the two disciplines. This research is also informed by my own experience as a stand-up comedian and as an educational theorist and practitioner, with students ranging from primary through to adult education (Pedagogy – Andragogy).

This paper also identifies stand-up comedians with an intent beyond entertainment, performers set on informing their audience and with a purpose to prompt behavioural or social change. In this regard, observations of the similarities in behavioural dynamics between the performer with audience, and the teacher with students, are made to inform my argument.

Humour is certainly the primary purpose of stand-up comedy, however humour is merely one of many communicative tools that stand-up comedians use to engage, inform and manage the dialogic relationship between speaker and audience. The purpose of this research is to identify a means in which to inform teachers’ ability to use the dynamics of dialogue and ‘perform’ more effectively within their own ‘performative space’ of the classroom and with their ‘audience’ – the student body.

Cities need new strategies for conservation and climate change resilience that engages global narrators, unites diverse perspectives, and mobilises an increasingly despondent public. This chapter examines community arts as a potential resource for the eco-city, including how incorporating creative perspectives into sustainability communication can open up new ways of thinking about how cities are reimagined for an ecological paradigm. The arts can provide a unique platform for empowering communities across natural, constructed and cultural systems, thereby contributing to the public’s knowledge and care of their local environment. Using a participatory design and theatre making project as a case study (The Bower Stage, Armidale, Australia, 2016), the chapter demonstrates how incorporating both creative and ecological perspectives can enrich environmental citizenship and connection.

HUN & ENG

A tézisem az alkalmazott színházi improvizáció szemléletmódjának vonatkozásait tematizálja.
Az alapgondolatom egy shakespeare-i idézet által inspirált megközelítés, miszerint az összes emberi lény, vagyis mi magunk, függetlenül attól, hogy néznek-e minket vagy sem, életszerepeket játszunk, ennélfogva folyamatosan színpadon vagyunk. A következtetésem az, hogy mindenki napi szinten improvizál, mivel a rutinszerű cselekvéseink váratlan események sorozatával vannak megtűzdelve, melyeket a legtöbb esetben tökéletesen megoldunk, azonban vannak pillanatok, amikor ledermedünk a szégyentől való félelmünk miatt. Minden egyes váratlan szituáció végkimenetele pusztán azon múlik, hogy milyen szemlélettel közelítjük meg ezeket a spontán pillanatokat. Ezáltal a tanulmányom egészét átható gondolat az az, hogy mindannyian született improvizatőrök vagyunk, akiknek birtokában állnak a rögtönzés képességei. Ha improvizációs műhelyfoglalkozásokon fejlesszük ezeket a képességeket, akkor nem csak a szociális készségeink fejlődnek, hanem ami még ennél is lényegesebb, az improvizációs szemléletet is megteremtjük. Az a tény, hogy ez a szemléletmód minden életkörülmény között alkalmazható, mutatja, hogy az improvizációnak megvan a potenciálja, hogy egy egészségesebb jóléthez vigyen közelebb minket.
Tanulmányomat egy rövid történeti áttekintővel kezdtem, az ókortól egészen a modern kori elvek megszületéséig, hogy demonstráljam, az improvizáció nem egy újonnan megszülető módszer. Ezután következtetéseket vontam le több össztársadalmi jelenséget megvizsgálva az oktatási rendszer korszerűtlenségéről, amely ilyenformán nem fektet hangsúlyt az amerikai National Education Association tanulmánya által, a 21. században legalapvetőbbnek megállapított, 4k-s készségeinek fejlesztésére, melyek a karrier, az állampolgári lét és a felsőoktatási tanulmányokhoz nélkülözhetetlenek. Bemutattam az oktatás alulról létrejövő forradalmasítását, melyhez az improvizációs műhelyek is hozzájárulnak. Megvizsgáltam, hogy mi adja az egyre népszerűbb imprós műhelyek vonzerejét a publikum számára, valamint felállítottam egy jövőkép víziót mindezek függvényében.
Elhelyeztem az alkalmazott színházi improvizációt az alkalmazott színház ernyője alá. A három éves tanulmányaimra visszatekintve megállapítottam, hogy pedagógiai tekintetben nagyon nehéz az improvizációt külön választani más színházi nevelési módszertől, főleg, mivel az improvizáció szinte az összes formát áthatja.
Az analizálás érdekében kettészedtem a műfajt és a módszert. Carol S. Dweck tanulmányán keresztül megállapítottam, hogy az improvizáció hidat tud képezni a rögzült és a fejlődő szemléletmódok között. Ennek a hídnak a létrehozásában segít Dave Morris improvizációs elvek listája.
Az utolsó fejezetben bemutattam az improvizációs csoportom által adott visszajelzéseket, akikkel fél éven át dolgoztunk. Ezek a visszacsatolások támasztották alá az improvizációs elvek pedagógiai alkalmazhatóságát, valamint azok hatását a 4k-s készségek fejlesztésére.
A tanulmányom konklúziója, hogy mindannyian született improvizatőrök vagyunk, ezáltal bátorítom az olvasót, hogy tegyen egy felfedezést olyan befogadó közösségek irányába, amelyek inspirálják és támogatják a kiteljesedést egy jobb létállapot megteremtéséhez.

ENG

My thesis themathizes the aspects of the mindset of applied theatrical improvisation.
My core idea is a philosophical approach inspired by one of Shakespeare's quotes which submits that all human beings, whether they are watched or not, plays life roles thus each and every one of us is permanently on stage. My inference is that everyone improvises each day as our routines are constantly packed with unexpected moments which in most cases are perfectly managed, though there are times we freeze due to the fear of being ashamed. The outcome of each sudden situation purely depends on the mindset with which we approach these spontaneous moments. Therefore the concept which pervades this whole study is that all of us are naturally born improvisers, who possess the skills to play it by ear. If these skills are improved by improv workshops, then not only social skills are being developed, but most importantly the improvisational mindset can be established. The fact this mindset can be applied in all walks of life shows, that improv has the potential to bring us closer to a better well-being.
I started off my study with a brief historical introduction from ancient times till the birth of modern age improvisational principles to demonstrate improvisation is not a newborn method. After that I examined a number of societal phenomena all of which pointed out how the reigning formal educational system is antiquated, hence it omits to improve those 4C skills which are determined fundamental for career, citizenship and university studies in the 21st century by the National Education Association. I introduced in what ways can improv workshops provide grassroots means of transformation in education. I contemplated what gives improvisational workshops wide appeal as well as I erected a vision for their future function.
I pursued to locate improvisation under the applied theatre umbrella. Retrospectively my entire BA course, I concluded that from an educational point of view it is very difficult to separate improvisation from most drama education methods mainly because improv pervades all.
In order to create pathway for analysis I separated genre from methodology. Grounded on the findings of the mindset study conducted by Carol S. Dweck I ascertained that improvisation can create a bridge between the fixed and the growth mindsets. Then I introduced a guideline of fundamental improv principles suggested by Dave Morris which supports the creation of the aforementioned bridge.
In my last chapter I introduced the feedbacks that were provided by my improv group with whom I worked for a semester. These feedbacks confirm how the applied improvisational principles work educationally as well as how it improves the 4C skills.
I conclude my thesis with the proof that we are truly naturally born improvisers thus I encourage the reader setting off a journey in order to explore any kind of communities which are inclusive enough to inspire, promote and assist holistical growth for a better well-being.

“The Silent Theatre: Notes and Reflections around the Deaf Theatre” — In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the theatrical production related to the Deaf world. There are now many diversified projects, festivals, companies and laboratories that produce shows where Deaf and hearing performers are integrated, as well as dramaturgy that is immersed in the roots of Deaf culture.
After some preliminary considerations on deafness, this paper aims to analyse the contexts of production and fruition of Deaf theatre starting from the pioneering experiences of the National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD) and the company “Senza parole” (Speechless) up to the most recent ones, represented by the Deaf West Theatre or the Laboratorio Zero. On the basis of examples from the Italian and the international contemporary scene, the author focuses on the relationship dynamics that can result from the encounter, in the theatrical context, between Deaf culture and hearing culture. In particular, the essay examines the specific identity of Deaf theatre and its function in the perspective of appreciation, recognition and integration of Deaf culture. Such a function is crucial in Italy, especially nowadays, as the Italian Sign Language (LIS) is not yet nationally recognised.

ITA
I fenomeni migratori che caratterizzano la società moderna pongono in primo piano la necessità di individuare nuovi mezzi d'integrazione culturale ed inclusione sociale. Tra di essi, la dimensione artistica sembra favorire uno spazio creativo di espressione identitaria e incoraggiare il dialogo interculturale. In questa cornice si inserisce il teatro comico che, attraverso il linguaggio dell'umorismo, punta alla ricerca di un terreno comune dove poter ridere dei medesimi aspetti della vita. Il presente lavoro descrive un progetto teatrale con migranti che ha dato vita allo spettacolo "Il Sogno di Enea: se possiamo ridere per le stesse cose non siamo poi così diversi", portato in tournée per due mesi in Italia. L'obiettivo del progetto è stato utilizzare l'umorismo come strumento di integrazione culturale e stabilire canali di connessione tra attori e pubblico. Attraverso questa sperimentazione è stato possibile lavorare sul comico di gruppo e individuare un contesto linguistico culturalmente flessibile, dimostrando le potenzialità dell'umorismo quale mezzo di integrazione culturale e condivisione di esperienze.
EN
The migratory phenomena, characterizing modern society, focus on the need to identify new means of social integration. Among them, the artistic dimension seems to favor a creative space of identity expression and encourage intercultural dialogue (Netto, 2008). This is the setting for humor theatre and comedy which, through the language of humor, try to find common ground where everybody can laugh at the same aspects.This winning project, describing a theatrical project with migrants, built the show "Il Sogno di Enea (Awneas' Dream): If we can laugh for the same things we are not so different", originally written in Italian and taken on tour for two months in Italy. The aim of the project was: using humor as a means of integration and establishing connection's channels between the actors and the audience. Through this experiment it was possible to work on group comedy, to identify a culturally flexible linguistic context, demonstrating the potential of humor as a tool for cultural integration and experiences sharing.

Ξεκινώντας από παιχνίδια ομαδικότητας και φτάνοντας μέχρι πιο σύνθετες ασκήσεις οικοδόμησης χαρακτήρων ή διερεύνησης της δομής ενός κειμένου, το βιβλίο Παίζοντας θέατρο. Ασκήσεις και παιχνίδια για τη θεατρική αγωγή προσκαλεί τους εκπαιδευτικούς, αλλά και όποιον επιθυμεί να εμψυχώσει μία ομάδα, στο μεγάλο ταξίδι του θεάτρου. Ακολουθώντας μία σειρά και με τρόπο που μπορεί να γίνει κατανοητός από τα παιδιά (και τις ερασιτεχνικές ομάδες), τα θεατρικά παιχνίδια και οι ασκήσεις, που περιλαμβάνονται στο βιβλίο, μυούν τους συμμετέχοντες στις βασικές έννοιες του θεάτρου. Το βιβλίο μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί όχι μόνο για τον εμπλουτισμό του εκπαιδευτικού προγράμματος της κάθε τάξης, αλλά και να οδηγήσει σε ένα ολοκληρωμένο θεατρικό γεγονός. Γιατί, το θέατρο είναι, πρώτα απ’ όλα, παιχνίδι και διασκέδαση

This article chronicles the history and significance of one of the first webcams, ‘Jennicam’, set in the home of an ‘ordinary’ young Western woman Jennifer Ringley, portraying her daily life though a series of images intermittently transmitted over the Internet for nearly eight years.  An influential development over the period (1996-2003) Jennicam became a socio-performative phenomenon and one of the longest running pieces of endurance theatre which, although most of the images were mundane, invariably invited interpretation or begged questions.

Le théâtre dans un pays comme le Sultanat d’Oman peut s’avérer une aventure difficile à envisager et enthousiasmante à réaliser. C’est ce que ce document voudrait montrer à travers le récit d’un tressage d’activités programmatiques et extra-scolaires, initiées alternativement par des professeurs et par des étudiants.

En este artículo se exponen las distintas variedades del Teatro Aplicado y se analiza especialmente el Teatro en los Museos, modalidad que permite al visitante jugar a ser otro, aproximarse lúdica y vivencialmente  al patrimonio cultural y a participar de la cultura democratizada. Además el Teatro en los Museos es un excelente medio de aprendizaje,  pues la memoria guarda mejor aquello que le emociona, y convierte la historia en algo más cotidiano. Por otra parte, trata de transmitir  conocimiento y emociones positivas, respeto y estima por la cultura común. Y finalmente, desacraliza el espacio museístico, convirtiendo el “templo de las musas” en un espacio democrático apto para el juego y apto para todos los públicos.

(Artículo publicado en Ñaque: TeatroExpresiónEducación, 77, diciembre-febrero, 2013-2014)