When we were kids we loved to collect ‘best of’ albums. They were usually called things like ‘Ripper Tracks 1989’ or ‘1982 with a Bullet’. They were a kind of grab bag of hits from that year which demonstrated what music had been and to some extent what popular music would become. In some ways the ‘State of the art’ series is similar. It is a showcase of where we have been, where we are and where we might be coming to. The series has played an important role as a focal point for practitioners and researchers in drama education in New South Wales and beyond. Through this series, the NSW drama community has celebrated research and scholarship from generations of drama education researchers. State of the art continues to reflect a diverse range of interests and preoccupations. The contributors to this volume also mirror the changes in curriculum and approach that drama education has seen since the last edition, The state of our art: NSW perspectives in educational drama, almost a decade ago. Before we discuss the specifics of the contributions to this volume it may be worth considering some of the shifts that have occurred in drama education in the last 10 years.
The shift in policy by the Rudd and Gillard governments towards a national curriculum stirred some excitement in the arts education community. The inclusion of the arts, comprising dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts, in the second phase of curriculum development was felt to be a bit of a coup, but more likely was a necessary and important acknowledgement of the place of the arts in Australian schools. In many ways, the process has tipped off a predictable curriculum turf war between those who wish to see the old hierarchy of music and visual arts as primary and the ‘other’ art forms left to pick up what time is left. The Australian curriculum does however offer the arts education community the opportunity for a rebalancing of this situation and for art forms to get equal access to arts opportunities. There are, in some quarters, anxieties about what these changes mean for arts in schools but these challenges aren’t new. The challenges of curriculum change have been an ever-present feature of the schooling landscape and will probably continue to be so. Some of the approaches and ideas contained in this volume lead the way in understanding how curriculum innovation can support the growth of drama as a school subject in the face of ever-present curriculum change.
This collection also marks the growth of a research culture in schools and universities. Many of the authors featured here are new to the research scene but experienced classroom teachers who have been leaders in curriculum and assessment over the years. Their contribution in this volume, and in other places, has been to revitalise and renew the link between schools and universities to create a strong partnership for describing, analysing and reflecting on learning in drama.
The collection opens with Miranda Jefferson’s discussion of the process of researching in the arts. Her article poetically tracks her personal discoveries through her evolving understanding of drama, pedagogy and broader issues in student learning. In chapter 2 ‘School drama: towards state of the art in drama professional learning?’ Robyn Ewing, Robyn Gibson, Victoria Campbell and Helen Hristofski revisit a theme that has exercised the minds and hearts of many of the contributors to the ‘State of the art’ series. Their reflections on the innovative school drama process not only have implications for drama learning, but also engage in active discussions of learning across the curriculum. David Wright considers the ways drama can provoke understanding in other fields. He argues in his conclusion that ‘drama education can be seen as a laboratory for the ongoing exploration of participation in unfolding awareness’. His reflections will support those looking for ways to enhance learning about our fragile and changing world. In chapter 4 Christine Hatton and Sarah Lovesy remind us of the centrality of playbuilding in learning. Their discussion explores the way many drama processes align directly with 21st-century learning approaches. Margery Hertzberg’s chapter, ‘Learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) through educational drama’ examines an area that has been extensively researched in recent times. Hertzberg unpacks the opportunities and challenges for drama and EAL in a way that will be directly relevant to classroom learning. Paul Gardiner’s chapter, ‘What’s wrong with the way we teach playwriting?’ provokes the reader through a discussion of what is currently working and not working about playwriting in NSW schools. His reflections introduce the opportunity for improved practice in an area that is the heart and soul of theatre and drama education. Jerry Boland’s chapter, ‘The drama of co-intentional dialogue: reflections on the confluent praxis of Dorothy Heathcote and Paulo Freire’ celebrates the practices of these pioneering educational figures and considers their application in drama classrooms. His discussion will be relevant to teachers interested in creating democratic engaged learners. The volume concludes with ‘Hold the phone: drama education and mobile technology’ by David Cameron and Rebecca Wotzko. This chapter reminds us of the affordances and relevance of emergent technologies to drama learning and helps us to reflect on what might be in the drama classroom as well as what currently is.
This volume of State of the art represents some of the best aspects of drama education in NSW. The work is rigorous and grounded in an understanding and experience of classroom practice. The chapters reflect the aspirational nature of drama education to broadly influence learning. These chapters extend drama education beyond curriculum boundaries into many aspects of young people’s lives. Finally the work honours and reflects the rich tradition of classroom-based research of pioneers such as John Carroll and Dorothy Heathcote. John’s influence over the work in this series has been profound and many of the contributors represented here (ourselves included) owe him a debt of gratitude. In many ways the fruits of his legacy can be seen in the fertility and growth of practice and research in drama.
Many challenges lie ahead but there is much to be optimistic about in these pages. The partnerships evident in this volume and indeed this series suggest drama education in NSW has not only a strong history, but also a bright future.
Michael Anderson
Colleen Roche