Griffith University
Applied theatre is a strong teaching and research area at Griffith, with a large (for the field) concentration of researchers and practitioners working in the area. Griffith runs postgraduate programmes in applied and drama education (in Australia and Hong Kong), and an undergraduate degree in applied theatre. Key researchers in applied theatre at Griffith, include Penny Bundy, whose specialism is in autobiographical performance and working with trauma (adult survivors of institutional abuse), Bruce Burton, who has extensive experience in schools, and developed the Acting Against Bullying programme; and Julie Dunn, a specialist in play in early years and other contexts.
Visit the website here.
Network member: Professor Michael Balfour, Applied Theatre, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Examples of projects (recent work)
Refugee performance work
In October 2007 I was invited by a community organisation, MultiLink, to develop a theatre project with newly arrived humanitarian entrants from Burundi and Ethiopia . Multilink are based in Logan City , Queensland (Australia) and help new migrants and refugees to settle in Australian communities.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) funded the pilot project that aimed to use the arts to disseminate experiences about Australia 's culture to the Burundian and Ethiopian humanitarian communities in Logan City .
The project's steering group, representatives from Burundi and Ethiopia , signalled that there were significant settlement problems within their community groups. With each group of new arrivals emerged similar difficulties, ranging from pragmatic domestic issues (learning to cook with a gas cooker, understanding how to use an ATM etc.) to the more complex negotiation of understanding new cultural paradigms and values. The community representatives suggested that beyond the initial 'honeymoon' period of arrival, individuals and groups encountered considerable stress and anxiety in dealing with the acculturation process.
The first stage of the Multilink project was to gather stories and experiences from Burundian and Ethiopian community members who had been here for 4-5 years, complemented with interviews with community elders/leaders, and other community organisations. There was a deliberate request for a broad range of stories, not just issue-based experiences but funny, surprising, and unusual observations about living in Australia . The collated material from these responses provided a rich resource of anecdotes, reflections, and moving accounts of difficulties in adjustment. The stories also signalled the considerable pragmatism and resilience needed in the process of making and unmaking 'home'.
Using the collected stories as a starting point, the project team sought volunteers from a mixed group of Burundian and Ethiopian volunteer participants to workshop and perform the material. The response was beautifully anarchic. The participants came from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds ( Ethiopia has over 80 different linguistic groups alone) as well as countries ( Ethiopia , Burundi , Sudan ) and had an age range between 55 years and 6 months. The rehearsals were a chaotic mixture of different performance levels, ethnic languages, and English comprehension, and involved developing and refining three stories which would highlight common areas of experience. What (finally) emerged was a composite portrait of a newly arrived African family, told from the different perspectives of each family member.
Working paper on project: http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/116244/wp5-09web.pd
Young 'diggers' project
Creative online communities to support serving and ex-military personnel experiencing combat trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulties with re-acculturation.
Background
The Department of Veteran Affairs ( Australia ) has recently prioritised the need to develop communication channels with young ex-military personnel. The current generation of returnees are, for a number of reasons, not accessing traditional and specialised support networks. This has raised considerable concern as global research indicates a high degree of vulnerability to mental health issues, family breakdown, homelessness and other factors involved in the re-acculturation to 'normal' civilian life. In the US there are currently 1000 attempted suicides by ex-military personnel returning from Iraq , Afghanistan , and peacekeeping duties.
Project
Young Diggers web site was set up independently by a Vietnam veteran in recognition of the difficulties young military personnel were experiencing. Understanding the feelings of alienation towards traditional forms of support, the Vietnam veteran, set up his own website to offer support and guidance to young diggers. In the first 6 months the site received 7,000 hits, in the second 6 months it has received 19,000 hits. Working in association with Goodna RSL (but independent of it), the Young Diggers organisation wants to develop and extend the site. Responding to ideas and requests from serving and ex military personnel the site administrators need assistance in developing the potential of the site in a number of ways.
The organiser's are looking for advice and expertise in creating a site that is dynamic and interactive. One of the ways they are keen to explore is the use of digital storytelling, video, photo, and audio to both reflect and provoke debate with the online community.
The project is designed to help create a significant social welfare site for young diggers. Currently, it is one of the few forums where serving and ex-military personnel can seek independent advice and guidance. But importantly it is also a referral tool for traditional sources of support, connecting young diggers with existing services.
My particular perspective/interest is in developing creative and dynamic online spaces that aim to develop and enhance engagement and communication with a disparate and hard to access community.
Visit the Young Diggers website here.
Indigenous histories
Collaborating with indigenous artists and actors to develop a performance project for history students in secondary schools. The performance draws on recent research into indigenous 'trackers' and their involvement with hunting colonial criminals.
