The Practice and Pedagogies of Imaginary Communities: A Dramatic Story-Making Process in the Primary School Classroom

Access to files

•   FULL-TEXT.PDF (pdf)

Abstract

This research is driven by a new model of dramatic story-making practice developed in English primary schools between 2010 and 2020. Imaginary Communities (IC) is a particularly open-ended and collaborative practice and pedagogy that supports learning within the school's curriculum. This thesis is informed by, and contributes to, the field of drama education and argues for a revived commitment to trusting children as capable, instinctive playmakers. Creating a dramatic narrative with children from the very start of the process, and remaining committed to co-creation, can seem difficult for teachers who lack the relevant training or experience. This, coupled with the pressure to meet various pre-determined, age-related learning objectives, makes an open-ended practice seem out of reach. My research breaks down the IC artistic model, sharing it through five manageable stages of practice. It argues for a new way of thinking about pedagogy as a way of being in the classroom, suggesting that teachers and children can be equal playmakers when using IC. The thesis makes a case for practice-based research that communicates new models in accessible and manageable formats. The thesis is founded on reflective practice arising from a ten-year process of developing, embedding, and evaluating IC in over fifty schools in the North of England. It includes a practical submission, providing a direct encounter with creative practice, and a written submission, offering a theoretically informed analysis of the IC approach. Using collaborative reflective practice, a detailed analysis of the work with teachers at two primary schools clarifies how they can use such an open-ended practice whilst still meeting formal learning objectives. The children's reflections are theorised to offer further pedagogical possibilities about a new culture of friendship in the classroom. The collective insights position IC as a form of critical pedagogy in schools, supporting teachers and children to re-think classroom practices driven by performative agendas.

Additional content not available electronically

All of the video footage can be accessed via hyperlinks embedded in the written thesis or on the USB stick provided in the box file.

There is an accompanying box file that includes the following non-digital materials: Sample of fabrics, Professor Abdullah's Metal Metropolis and Other Imaginary Communities (book), First IC Handbook (book), and BA Drama in Education Module Handbook (hard copy).

Bibliographic metadata

Institutional metadata

Record metadata