Contemporary Theatre Education and Creative Learning

This book considers the state of contemporary theatre education in Great Britain is in two parts. The first half considers the national identities of each of the three mainland nations of England, Scotland, and Wales to understand how these differing identities are reflected and refracted through culture, theatre education and creative learning. The second half attends to 21st century theatre education, proposing a more explicit correlation between contemporary theatre and theatre education. It considers how theatre education in the country has arrived at its current state and why it is often marginalised in national discourse. Attention is given to some of the most significant developments in contemporary theatre education across the three nations, reflecting on how such practice is informed by and offers a challenge to conceptions of place and nation. Drawing upon the latest research and strategic thinking in culture and the arts, and providing over thirty interviews and practitioner case studies, this book is infused with a rigorous and detailed analysis of theatre education, and illuminated by the voices and perspectives of innovative theatre practitioners. Mark Crossley is an Associate Professor at De Montfort University, UK, specialising in performing arts education and intermedial practice. He has written and edited numerous journal articles and two previous books, Devising Theatre with Stan’s Cafe (2017) and Intermedial Theatre: Principles and Practice (2019). He currently sits on the editorial board for the journal RiDE: Research in Drama Education.