Practice-Based Theatre and Artistic Research
Summary
Practice-based theatre and artistic research encompasses methodologies in which the processes of creation, performance and reflection are inseparable from scholarly inquiry. At its core, this field treats artistic practice not merely as a vessel for disseminating pre-existing knowledge but as a site of knowledge generation in its own right. Practitioners employ embodied techniques—from devised ensemble work to participatory dramatisation—to explore social, cultural and epistemological questions. Through cycles of making, enacting and critical reflection, insights emerge about power relations, materiality, audience engagement and the affective dimensions of experience. This approach has global resonance, informing community development projects, informing STEM outreach through STEAM initiatives, and reshaping doctoral training in the performing arts. Key applications range from data translation in community deliberations to pedagogical resources that probe supervisory relationships in academia. Across diverse contexts, practice-based theatre bridges disciplinary boundaries, fostering polyvocal research collectives that negotiate ethical complexities and co-create new vocabularies. In doing so, it challenges conventional hierarchies of theory over practice and advances socially engaged forms of knowing that have demonstrable impact on education, policy and cultural discourse.
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Practice-Based Theatre and Artistic Research publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in practice-based theatre and artistic research across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Practice-as-research: A research paradigm in which creative practice itself serves as the primary method and site of enquiry.
Research-based theatre (RbT): A form of practice-based research that uses theatrical performance to present and interrogate empirical findings.
Polyvocality: The inclusion and interplay of multiple voices or perspectives within a single artistic-research project.
Community-engaged data theatre: An approach that converts quantitative and qualitative data into theatrical form to facilitate public deliberation and sense-making.
Open educational resource (OER): Freely accessible teaching and learning materials, often including guided scenarios or scripts for facilitator-led workshops.
References
- Applied theatre and practice as research: polyphonic conversations. Research in Drama Education The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance (2016).
- Viewpoints/Points of View: Building a Transdisciplinary Data Theatre Collaboration in Six Scenes. Arts (2024).
- Behind the Scenes: Insights on Pedagogy during Implementation of an RbT Open Educational Resource. Arts (2023).
- Empathy and Listening in Research-Based Theatre. Arts (2024).
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