“MORE LIKE A POEM THAN A PLAY”: TOWARDS A DRAMATURGY OF PERFORMING ARTS FOR EARLY YEARS Ben Fletcher-Watson A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland & University of St Andrews 2016 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/8974 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence “More like a poem than a play”: towards a dramaturgy of performing arts for Early Years Ben Fletcher-Watson PhD in Drama Date of submission: 26/01/2016 © Ben Fletcher-Watson 2016 Abstract This thesis aims to further our understanding of the emergent phenomenon of Theatre for Early Years (TEY) in Scotland. It interrogates a series of artistic practices – traditional, postdramatic, participatory – with the aim of proposing a possible dramaturgy of arts for the very young. Practice typically precedes theory in new fields of performance. TEY currently lacks a coherent theoretical framework or dramaturgy, instead drawing on interdisciplinary strands of psychology, pedagogy and existing dramaturgical practices from older forms of theatre for children. This study explores artists’ embodied knowledge as a repository of skill, while also recognising external factors that impact on creative production, from belief systems to training, the search for funding and the struggle for recognition. Using Grounded Theory as a method to analyse interviews with 26 leading Scottish practitioners, this project undertakes a qualitative investigation of current practice in the devising and production of performing arts for very young audiences. The thesis also considers debates around legitimation and human rights for the very young, as well as cognitive models of infant development from psychology. The process points towards a Grounded Theory which proposes that Scottish Early Years artists undergo an attitudinal shift towards a belief that children should access high-quality cultural experiences on the same basis as adults. Secondly, it suggests that these artists believe they possess a unique skill-set worthy of recognition. The theory points towards an associated dramaturgy centring on equality, and the generalisability of both is then assessed via an innovatory Practice- as-Research case study converting a TEY production into a digital app. While the project is geographically limited to Scotland, its findings may have international applicability. This study could contribute to a wider praxis of arts for the very young beyond theatre, giving practitioners across the cultural sphere the opportunity to engage with the proposed dramaturgy. ii Declarations I, Ben Fletcher-Watson, hereby confirm that I am solely responsible for the production of this submission which consists of: A thesis of 74,659 words Appendices and bibliography of 35,582 words and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date………….……… Signature of candidate…………………………………. I was admitted as a research student in September 2011 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in Drama in June 2012; the higher study for which this is the outcome was carried out at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland between 2011 and 2015. Date………….……… Signature of candidate…………………………………. I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in Drama in the University of St Andrews and any additional requirements for the regulations of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as approved by the University and that the candidate is qualified to make this submission in application for that degree. Date………….……… Signature of supervisor…………………………………. In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of St Andrews. Date………….……… Signature of candidate…………………………………. Signature of supervisor………………………………… iii Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Economic & Social Research Council Capacity Building Cluster, "Capitalising on Creativity", grant #RES 187-24-0014. My thanks also go to the ESRC for a six-month industry placement grant, to the Leverhulme Trust for bursary funding, and to Imaginate for travel grants. Support from my family, especially my wife Sue Fletcher-Watson and my parents Richard and Hilary Spiers, has been inestimable. My supervisors, Anna Birch and Marie Jeanne McNaughton, have guided me through this study with kindness, wisdom and good humour. Stephen Broad and my colleagues at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland have been supportive and morale-boosting throughout. Particular thanks go to Rhona Matheson at Starcatchers and Fiona Ferguson at Imaginate, the sponsors of my research, for opening many doors. The generosity and academic rigour of Mindy Grewar and Barbara Townley at the Institute for Capitalising on Creativity has been invaluable. Special thanks go to all of my interview participants: Tim, Andy, Rosie, Heather, Hazel, Rachel, Matt, Katherine, Katy, Lissa, Jo, Claire, Katyana, Jen, Brian, Eilidh, Shona, Xana, Greg, Mandy, Danny, Vanessa, Charlotte, Nik and Tony. Paul Fitzpatrick, Gill Robertson, Craig Fleming and Ian Cameron at Catherine Wheels Theatre Company also provided vital assistance. Finally, I would like to thank the team at Hippotrix, Simone Bloomfield and Jonathan Charles, for giving me unparalleled access to the world of White. This thesis would not exist without the time, energy, support and kindness given by each of these people, and I will always be grateful to them. iv “More like a poem than a play”: towards a dramaturgy of performing arts for Early Years Chapter 1: Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1 Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.2 Study aims and research questions ---------------------------------------------------- 6 1.3 Positionality ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.3.1 Positioning statement --------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.3.2 Towards a dramaturgy of TEY ---------------------------------------------------- 12 1.3.3 The researcher as dramaturg ----------------------------------------------------- 16 1.4 Overview of study -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 Chapter 2: Contextual Review of Literature --------------------------------------- 23 2.1 Summary of chapter ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 2.2 The history of Theatre for Early Years ----------------------------------------------- 23 2.2.1 Babies in the audience ---------------------------------------------------------------- 24 2.2.2 The emergence of Theatre for Early Years -------------------------------------- 25 2.2.3 TEY in Scotland ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 2.3 The use of developmental milestones in theory and practice --------------- 31 2.3.1 Debates around TEY ------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 2.3.2 Audience profiles for children from birth to three ------------------------------- 35 2.3.3 Use of developmental milestones in practice ------------------------------------ 38 2.4 Other modes of legitimation: paidia, postdrama and play -------------------- 41 2.4.1 Ludus versus Paidia ------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 2.4.2 Theatre or ‘non-theatre’? ------------------------------------------------------------- 42 2.4.3 TEY as postdrama --------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 2.4.4 Postdramatic practices in TEY ------------------------------------------------------ 51 2.4.5 Paidic and postdramatic dramaturgies -------------------------------------------- 53 2.5 Human rights perspectives in TEY --------------------------------------------------- 56 2.6 Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 58 Chapter 3: Methodology and Research Paradigm ------------------------------ 60 3.1 Summary of chapter ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 3.2 Choices and models ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 60 3.2.1 Methodological choices ---------------------------------------------------------------