Doctoral Study

Doctoral Study

My area of doctoral study in the Educational Interdisciplinary studies program at Lesley University involves making meaning of the extensive community service capacity demonstrated by performance art-makers. As a founder of two community-based performing arts organizations, I have witnessed performance art-makers volunteering significant amounts of time and energy in the service of bringing art to marginalized communities as well as volunteering at non art-related social service agencies. I am intrigued by the social-awareness and other-oriented behavior demonstrated by these artists and their students and I would like understand the motivation and meaning of this phenomenon because it may add to the existing knowledge and provide another example of how the arts may positively impact our communities.

My assumption is that the practices of performance art-making and teaching performance art in community settings, together with the continuous action and reflection implicit in those practices, creates an acute awareness of the ‘other’ within the artist and results in a proclivity for sustained other-oriented behavior. I believe that critical pedagogy (among other theoretical constructs may inform my understanding of this phenomenon, in particular the concept of praxis, which involves a continuous process of reflection and action (Paulo Freire,1968). Other theorists whose work may inform this inquiry are John Dewey (1913) with his emphasis on participatory democracy, civic discourse and the arts and Augusto Boal (1999) with his recognition of the crucial importance of participatory, dialogic forms of education and art. I suspect that the pedagogy being utilized by certain performing artist teachers creates frequent opportunities for community-based events for themselves and their students which facilitates an awareness of social issues and disenfranchisement within their communities.

References

Boal, A. (1979). Theatre of the oppressed. New York: Theatre Communications Group.

Dewey, J. (1913). Experience and education. New York: Collier.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.