Training Indigenous actors in Australia

Abstract

For Indigenous students in Australia who aspire to a career in acting there is a diverse range of formal institutional training opportunities available. Whatever institution they choose to attend, the way in which Indigenous acting students make sense of their training does not depend so much on the specific content or structure of classroom and studio-based learning activities; rather, it is essentially defined by the much larger cultural and pedagogical frameworks within which these learning activities are embedded. This article is based on a postgraduate research project on the diversity of cultural experiences Indigenous students encounter during their training to be an actor. Becoming an Indigenous actor is, the article suggests, more than just mastering the technical aspects of training. It is also about an understanding of the day-to-day negotiations of the social, cultural, and artistic practices and processes involved in making Indigenous theatre. It involves navigating these entangled social and cultural traditions in institutional contexts.