PARIP 2003

NATIONAL CONFERENCE: 11-14 September

CONTRIBUTORS

TRIMINGHAM: MELISSA
school of performance and cultural industries
university of leeds
creativity and control: from pure practice to research

The hermeneutic spiral model underlying the methodology I use in practical research has been laid out recently in my article in Studies in Theatre and Performance, and the details will not be repeated here. This presentation demonstrates instead this methodology in action. Concentrating on a single scene from a practical research project on an historical subject, Oskar Schlemmer, aims and objectives underlying the rehearsal process are exposed and compared to the emerging practice, final performance and research outcomes.

This presentation demonstrates the value of a methodology in PaR that can take account of the creative process but not lose sight of the research questions being addressed. Keeping control of the work while interacting in a dynamic way with creative ideas and energy, whether working in a group or alone, is a vital aspect of evaluating the work in terms of research knowledge. The presentation is intended to offer an answer to questions 1 and 4 posed by the conference, as to why research practice differs from ‘pure’ practice, but also touches on questions 2, 5 and 6, which perhaps may be more fully addressed in discussion.

Dr Melissa Trimingham teaches at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at the University of Leeds. She completed her doctorate on Oskar Schlemmer in 2001, based practical research into his work. Before entering academia she worked for several years as a freelance performer and director.

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