Theatre and Knowing: Considering the Pedagogical Spaces in Devised Theatre

Abstract

With an overarching intention to explore the pedagogical possibilities within devised theatre, this article considers how the creative process, performance event, and spectator emerge within this genre. Although the field of arts-based education is becoming ever more prevalent in educational theory, contemporary theatre practices in the context of pedagogy and social impact are largely undertheorized. Considering the history and the practices of devised theatre alongside those of critical pedagogy, I argue that devised theatre offers a site for productive critical pedagogies. I use the practice of Forced Entertainment to illustrate this argument.