| dc.description.abstract | From drama in education to applied theatre, naming practice in the field of drama and theatre education has created significant tension and debate. In examining these debates, the study reveals that one of the challenges in discussing practice is the inconsistent and interchangeable use of terms. The multiplicity of terms creates a terminological knot and suggests a field with a more fragmented than unified identity. Emerging in the 1990s, applied theatre is increasingly dominant in the literature and presented as an umbrella term for some commentators, but, for others, it is contested as a term for drama and theatre education.
Firstly, the study examines the family resemblances between drama in education, theatre in education, and applied theatre. Then, using a mixed methods methodology that employs a systematic review, interviews and philosophical inquiry, it investigates terminology and the use of applied theatre as an umbrella term for practice in drama and theatre education, and considers what this term suggests about the identity of this field in a globalised and neoliberalist landscape.
The investigation reveals considerable unity in the field, built around the core concepts of drama, theatre, and education. The study concludes that drama and theatre constitute the field?s core identity. Ultimately, the study argues that the field must remain in control of the language it uses to describe practice and does not acquiesce to new terms which may compromise its identity. The study recommends the use of the term drama and theatre education as an overarching, quasi umbrella term, which reflects the core identity of the field, serving to unite rather than fragment. | en |
