Living beyond our means, meaning beyond our lives: Theatre as education for change

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the possibilities and limitations of applied theatre in relation to personal, social and political change today. It is concerned with making connections between its practices and the current austerity agendas of Western democracies, particularly with regard to the ways in which these agendas are shaping educational curricula and pushing educational drama to the margins. We propose that there is an urgent need to reinstate applied drama/theatre processes at the core of any curriculum concerned with the development of active citizens. The article analyses issues linked to facilitation and the strategies needed to move beyond therapeutic objectives into the arenas of social and political change. To this end, we consider how the application of facilitation as fooling may enable applied theatre to engage with the discourses of power.