Creating Life Story Theatre: A Guide for Applied Theatre Practitioners

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Balancing practical exercises and case studies, this book equips practitioners, students and academics with guidance for exploring the process of making theatre from personal stories. Inviting you to consider the challenges and rewards of this specialized area of theatre making, this book contextualizes the authors original approaches within the range of existing applied theatre practice. It draws on the authors practice and research in prisons and young offender institutions, forensic hospitals, addiction recovery centres, military veterans and families, older adults, intergenerational community groups, and end-of-life care settings. Offering guiding principles for practitioners undertaking work in this field and sharing techniques and exercises to help develop your style and approach, it also features handy hints and pitfalls to consider while working with someones most precious commodity: their life story. Drawing on their respective practices, Baim, Diamond and OConnor describe the theory and methodology of Life Story Theatre and the Drama Spiral. Featuring both the authors and participants perspectives on theatre making, the book explores concepts such as collaborative editing and co-creation, ownership and accountability, ethics and boundaries, and rolling consent. Alongside a growing interest in using personal stories in applied theatre, this study argues that there is increasing evidence for the role of the arts in the promotion of health, prevention of ill health, and management and treatment of illness. In light of the steady increase in a diverse range of arts practitioners embracing narrative practice, this book is an accessible, practitioner-level text on the subject.

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This book comprehensively explores personal stories in theatre-making, serving as a valuable resource for practitioners, students and academics. With clear writing and practical advice, the authors draw on their experience to guide readers through creating theatre from personal narratives. The books ethical focus adds depth, making it essential for practitioners seeking to create impactful theatre experiences. * Michael Balfour, University of New South Wales, Australia *

Author Bio

Alison O'Connor is the Co-Founder and Company Supervisor of Re-Live, UK. Karin Diamond is an Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Re-Live, UK. Clark Baim is the Director of the Birmingham Institute for Psychodrama, UK.