Storying worlds : using playback theatre to explore the interplay between personal and dominant discourses amongst adolescents

This article explores the ways in which playback theatre was used to interrogate the views of adolescents on their social context(s) and establish what the personal and dominant discourses operating in their views were. Playback theatre, with its focus on reframing personal stories to generate new perspectives on these stories, was an appropriate tool to do so. By referring to participants’ reflections, we demonstrate how playback theatre intervened in the interplay between these discourses and how meaning(s) and understanding(s) were (re)imagined to negotiate new avenues pertaining to voiced issues.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/crde202018-12-31hj2017Dram

Assessing the use of contraceptives by female undergraduate students in a selected higher educational institution in Gauteng

BACKGROUND : Unplanned pregnancies amongst students at higher education institutions are a major concern worldwide, including South Africa. Apart from various social and psychological challenges, unplanned pregnancies affect students’ objectives of achieving academic success. Research undertaken in the United States of America (USA) indicates that around 80% of female students in institutions of higher education between ages 18 and 24 are sexually active. OBJECTIVES : To assess and describe the use of contraceptives by undergraduate female students in a selected higher educational institution in Gauteng. METHOD : A cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative design was used. A total of 400 female undergraduate students were requested to respond to a self-administered questionnaire. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants. They were selected systematically from two campuses. Data were entered using an excel sheet at the Department of Statistics, and analysed using the Statistical Analysis Software programme, (SAS version 9.3), of the Department of Statistics’ higher educational institutions. RESULTS : A total of 74% females indicated they were sexually active, 79% of whom reported using contraceptives. The most common used methods were oral contraceptives at 38%, and 25% for male condoms. The most commonly known methods were condoms at 84%, and the oral contraceptive at 68%. The knowledge of condom use to prevent sexually transmitted diseases was high at 91%. CONCLUSION : Inadequate knowledge and awareness on some contraceptive methods was found. Thus, educational programmes to increase students’ knowledge on the use of all contraceptive methods are urgently needed.http://www.curationis.org.zahb201

Creative synergy : using community theatre and appreciative inquiry for young people's critical participation in HIV prevention and education

This paper positions Community Theatre as an agency for development and education based on the educational principles of Freire and Boal’s Theatre for Development. The paper argues that Appreciative Inquiry can enrich the practice of Community Theatre by approaching HIV and AIDS education as an asset-based, participatory, inclusive, learner-centred approach. The paper hypothesises that the infusion of the 4-D process of Appreciative Inquiry into Community Theatre processes aimed at HIV and AIDS education will enhance young people’s agency as active participants and agents of change in their communities beyond the didactic notions inherent in ABC education approaches to HIV prevention. The paper argues that this approach can encourage meaningful participation and critical consciousness amongst young people in the HIV prevention response.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uytj20hb2016Dram

Navigating dissonance : bodymind and character congruency in acting

This chapter sets out to create an embodied approach for responsibly navigating actor-character dissonance in performance. Actors attempt to enflesh characters in performance. Enfleshment is the subjective, deliberate and in-the-moment embodiment of the performance intent in context. Characters are constructed through clues in the playtext, the craft of acting, the conventions and aesthetic vision of the production, as well as the multi-modal, bodyminded sense of self shaped by and through the lived experiences of actors. To deliver and maintain congruent, nuanced, and consistent performances, actors need to make embodied shifts. These shifts can be explained by Zarrilli’s concept of the four bodies in/of performance, namely, (i) the surface body; (ii) the recessive body; (iii) the aesthetic inner body; and (iv) the aesthetic outer or performance body.1 These bodies necessarily intersect and are simultaneously present in, and navigated, during performance. This embodied navigation requires heightened awareness. The first three bodies relate to the actor’s bodyminded self. The fourth body enfleshes the character in performance. Optimally navigating the shift between the third and fourth bodies creates congruence between actor and character. This navigation results in the perceived believability of the character. Non-congruence results in actor- character dissonance. This dissonance impacts on effective character representation and can impact actors’ well-being if not managed responsibly.https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/edited-collections/embodiment-and-the-arts-views-from-south-africahj2023Dram

The theatre of development : dramaturgy, actors and performances in the ‘workshop space’

This article explores performance within development spaces. Dramaturgy, a concept deriving from theatre studies, can be understood as an analytical lens that examines the various roles and performances of different ‘actors’ in particular social spaces. While there is literature exploring the use of the arts, such as applied theatre and dance, in development interventions, this article looks at the roles, performances and actors in development spaces. By analysing the subtle yet explicit composites of workshop spaces in development, in particular those engaging with arts-based methodologies, we can see how multiple and simultaneous performances converge. These performances are insightful in their own right and represent and enact a theatre of their own. Using a workshop in Sierra Leone as a case study, we explore the various dynamics at play within the ‘workshop space’ of development. We illustrate how these frequently overlooked and subtle elements in development are critical to understanding the perceptions and embodiment of what constitutes and enacts the theatre of development.The Arts and Humanities Research Council Funded project.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ctwq20hj2023Dram

Exploring the potential of the process drama convention of dramatised poetry to enhance anger-management skills in adolescent girls

This article investigates the way the methodology of process drama, and specifically the convention of dramatised poetry, can enhance the anger-management skills of adolescent girls. The article presents findings from a recent study that set out to teach anger-management skills to adolescent girls using process drama conventions. The argument explores the notion of process drama propounded by the prominent applied drama scholar Cecily O’Neill (1995) and the applicability of this methodology for stimulating the perception, awareness and identification of various forms of anger as prerequisites to anger management in adolescent girls. As the adolescent girl finds herself at the crossroads of childhood and adulthood, emotions of frustration and anger towards parents and peer groups often surface. It is therefore beneficial for her to be empowered with the insight and skills required to identify and manage her anger. The fictitious world within process drama creates a safe space where sensitive issues can be explored without uncovering personal issues. Poetry is, in many instances, loaded with emotional content and can therefore be used as a vehicle for considering emotional issues that would otherwise not be possible. This article therefore reports on a multidiscipline research project, namely the dramatisation of poetry, as a convention of the methodology of process drama, to enhance anger management, as an emotional competence in the 14- to 15-year-old adolescent girl.http://www.tandfonline.comtoc/rthj202016-05-30hj201

Embracing aporia: exploring arts-based methods, pain, “playfulness,” and improvisation in research on gender and social violence

This article explores the role of play and playfulness—as both methodological and analytical tools—in research on social violence. While play may seem antithetical to both discussions on methods and to studying social violence, we found that actually paying attention to such elements was in fact very productive. This article draws on a series of participatory workshops that engaged theater, dance, and comedy, which were held in Sierra Leone in 2021 that explored various social dimensions of sexual and gender-based violence in rural communities. The “fun” components that are so frequently dismissed in favor of more flat and binary research helped us better understand the complex, and often painful, emotions of women in these communities. We pay particular attention to how singing, which was not originally part of the research plan, became critical to engaging these women on discussions of social violence. We argue that researchers should be more aware and open to the prospects that “play,” “fun,” and improvisation have to offer in research processes, and how such components can themselves be absolutely critical to how we conduct and analyze research, as well as engage with participants, even in relation to sensitive subject matter. Le présent article s'intéresse au rôle du jeu et de la gaieté, à la fois en tant qu'outils méthodologiques et analytiques, dans la recherche sur la violence sociale. Alors que le jeu peut paraître antithétique par rapport aux discussions sur les méthodes et l’étude de la violence sociale, nous avons observé qu'il était finalement très productif de s'y intéresser. Cet article se fonde sur une série d'ateliers participatifs impliquant le théâtre, la danse et l'humour, qui se sont déroulés en Sierra Leone en 2021. Ils traitaient de plusieurs dimensions sociales de la violence sexuelle et fondée sur le genre au sein des communautés rurales. Les composantes « amusantes », si souvent balayées en faveur de recherches plus monotones et binaires, nous ont permis de mieux comprendre les émotions complexes, et souvent douloureuses, des femmes de ces communautés. Nous nous sommes notamment attardés sur la façon dont le chant, qui ne faisait initialement pas partie du programme de recherche, s'est révélé essentiel pour entrer en communication avec ces femmes au sujet des violences sociales. Nous soutenons que les chercheurs devraient être plus conscients des possibilités offertes par le « jeu », l’« amusement » et l'improvisation dans le cadre des procédés de recherche, et ouverts à celles-ci. Ces composantes peuvent en fait se révéler tout à fait essentielles dans la conduite et l'analyse de recherches, mais aussi pour s'adresser aux participants, même quand il s'agit de sujets sensibles. Este artículo analiza el papel del juego y la capacidad para jugar como herramientas metodológicas y analíticas en la investigación sobre la violencia social. Si bien el juego puede parecer antitético en el marco tanto de las discusiones sobre los métodos como del estudio de la violencia social, hemos descubierto que prestar atención a estos elementos es, de hecho, muy productivo. Este artículo se basa en una serie de talleres participativos que se celebraron en Sierra Leona en 2021, en los que se utilizó el teatro, la danza y la comedia y en los que se exploraron diversas dimensiones sociales de la violencia sexual y de género en las comunidades rurales. Los componentes «divertidos», que tan frecuentemente se descartan en favor de una investigación más plana y binaria, nos ayudaron a comprender mejor las complejas, y a menudo dolorosas, emociones de las mujeres de estas comunidades. Prestamos especial atención a cómo el canto, que en un principio no formaba parte del plan de investigación, se convirtió en algo fundamental para involucrar a estas mujeres en los debates sobre la violencia social. Sostenemos que los investigadores deberían ser más conscientes y estar más abiertos a las perspectivas que ofrecen el «juego», la «diversión» y la improvisación en los procesos de investigación, y cómo estos componentes pueden ser en sí mismos absolutamente críticos para la forma en que realizamos y analizamos la investigación, así como para relacionarnos con los participantes, incluso en relación con temas delicados

Somewhere between remembering and forgetting: Working across generations on The Middle

Inspired by Hamlet, The Middle (2013) is a one-man show devised for a theatre foyer - a liminal space between the outside and the inside, the real world and the theatre. Hamlet is a character caught in a limbo between ?To be or not to be? and by casting my father, Tony Pinchbeck, to play the title role, I sought to explore time passing, staging ageing and the relationship between father and son. My father studied Hamlet when he was at school so he is stuck in the middle between the fading memory of reading that play 50 years ago and reading it now. He is trying to remember what it was like to be Hamlet while I continue my struggle to stay in the wings. For this article, I reflect on the complex dramaturgical process of working with my father to revisit his performative memories. The dramaturg?s job is to look for and after something that is not yet found. As Williams tells Turner and Behrndt, ?you don?t really know what is being sought?.1 As such, the dramaturg is in a limbo, or in the middle, between finding and looking, knowing and not knowing. For The Middle (2013), I spent time playing with the material I wanted to use physically: a table, a chair, 40 metres of bubble wrap. I found I could create interesting images with this material that could speak about the themes of liminality, ageing, stasis and mortality and the archiving of memory. The older we get, and the longer the show toured, between 2013 and 2016, the more the notion of father and son resonated. A retired solicitor, my father is 75 this year, and as he grew older and the show toured for three years, his memory of playing Hamlet faded so the text he spoke was always further from events it described. As Matthew Goulish writes, ?Some words speak of events, other words, events make us speak?. These were the words my Dad?s memories made us speak. For this article, I reflect on concepts of memory, time passing and ageing with Professor Mick Mangan, who explores these themes in his publication Staging Ageing (2013). The article weaves together my dramaturgical experience of making the performance with my father, and Mick?s experience of watching it through the lens of his research, and touches upon recent casting choices in order to explore issues of age and ageing and reminiscence theatre

(Re)storying the self : exploring identity through performative inquiry

This paper investigates the ways in which the use of performative inquiry can shift notions of knowledge as situated to knowledge as experiential, embodied and an in situ encounter in the domain of performance studies. Specifically, this paper will focus on understandings of knowledge(s) around the articulation and construction of identity with particular reference to the production Shiftings (2007). Shiftings was conceptualised as an extension of an undergraduate theoretical module that explores the ways in which contemporary theatre practices can position the performer as site/sight upon which hegemonic constructions of identity are played out, subverted or questioned. The production and working processes in preparing the production were prompted by students’ perceived lack of identification with, and understanding of, the learning content

Assessing the use on contraceptives by undergraduate female students in a selected higher educational institution

Introduction/Background Unplanned pregnancies among students at higher educational institutions are a major concern worldwide, including South Africa. Apart from various social and psychological problems, unplanned pregnancies affect students’ objectives of achieving academic success. Research indicated that around 80 per cent of female students are sexually active. Higher educational students between the ages of 18 and 24 have one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancies due to the lack of contraceptive use, knowledge and awareness regarding the use of contraceptives. Purpose of the study The purpose of the study was to assess the use of contraceptives by female undergraduate students in a higher educational institution. Methodology In terms of methodology, a cross-sectional, descriptive quantitative survey was used.The survey included 400 female undergraduate students at a higher educational institution who were required to respond to a self-administrative questionnaire. Categorical data, such as race, religion, ethnic group, place of residence and marital status were compared to each group using Chi square. Multiple logic regression analysis was applied to test the models. In addition, frequency tables, bar charts and pie charts were generated for all variables, which served as an input for descriptive statistics, based on frequencies and percentages. Research findings Of the 74 per cent sexually active females, 79 per cent reported using contraceptives. The most common used methods were the oral contraceptives, 38 per cent, and male condoms, 25 per cent. The most commonly known methods were condoms, 84 per cent, and the oral contraceptive, 68 per cent. The level of knowledge of the condom use to prevent sexually transmitted diseases was very high, 91 per cent. The knowledge of the benefits of contraceptives was also high, 97 per cent. There were some misconceptions, like contraceptives cause cancer and 75 per cent indicated weight gain as a side-effect of contraceptives. The level of knowledge of the emergency contraceptive was high, 90 per cent, but the awareness that it is free of charge at the campus clinic was low, 30 per cent. The level of awareness of the services was good, 72 per cent, and the most common first source of information was the school, 65 per cent. Sixteen per cent of participants indicated that religion was a factor for non-utilisation of contraceptives. Conclusion A lack of knowledge and awareness on some contraceptives methods was found. Thus educational programmes to increase student’s knowledge on all contraceptive methods, including addressing possible side-effects, and its use, are urgently needed to increase the use of contraceptives and assisting in reducing the rate of unplanned pregnancies.Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017.Nursing ScienceMScUnrestricte