학술논문

The Promise and Pain of Devising as Deliberative Democracy: Out of Character Theatre Company's 'Fresh Visions' Trilogy
Document Type
Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Author
Heinemeyer, Catherine (ORCID 0000-0001-6300-5544); Birch, PaulRowe, Nick (ORCID 0000-0003-2680-8545)
Source
Research in Drama Education. 2022 27(3):286-303.
Subject
Theater Arts
Research Methodology
Innovation
Mental Health Programs
Democracy
Power Structure
Mental Health
Drama Workshops
Citizen Participation
Language
English
ISSN
1356-9783
1470-112X
Abstract
Out Of Character Theatre Company's Fresh Visions project pursued an innovative theatre-based research methodology which enabled sustained, in-depth, polyphonic and dialogic engagement around the future shape of local mental health services. Since our previous research (Heinemeyer, Catherine and Nick Rowe. 2019. 'Being Known, Branching Out: Troupes, Teams and Recovery.' Mental Health Review Journal 24(3): 212-227) indicated that theatre devising can act as 'intuitive democracy', we ask whether Fresh Visions constituted a deliberative democracy exercise. We explore both the 'promise' of theatre-led approaches to overcome power imbalances and embrace dissent in deliberative processes, and their attendant 'pain' and limitations.