RESEARCH-BASED THEATRE: ENTERTAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH
November 25, 2019
1-2pm
Black Dog Institute, Lecture Theatre.
Research-based theatre (RBT) is an emerging methodology that integrates theatre and research. It offers an innovative method of knowledge sharing that uses embodied approaches to catalyze dialogue about difficult or controversial topics. When audiences experience a performance together, they can discuss sensitive issues in light of the shared experience, commenting on characters and situations as well as their own personal stories.RBT is particularly beneficial in conducting health research and in doing knowledge translation because it allows participants to empathize with different perspectives and to connect individual actions to larger systemic issues. RBT in health also creates novel opportunities for collaboration between researchers, clinicians, patients, and artists. To be effective, RBT requires stakeholders to work collaboratively and in ways that balance methodological and ethical rigour with the aesthetics of theatre. Drawing on examples from recent work supported by the University of British Columbia Research-based Theatre Cluster, this talk will; 1) explore some of the possibilities and challenges in using RBT especially within a health research context, 2) identify methodological and ethical tensions inherent in this work, and 3) reflect on lessons learned.
Hosted by Maridulu Budyari Gumal – Sydney Partnership for Health Education Research and Enterprise (SPHERE), and the Black Dog Institute
