About the Journal

Applied Theatre Research seeks articles that chronicle and analyse any drama and theatre applied to non-conventional contexts and purposes. Educational uses of theatre are an important part of the journal’s brief, encompassing lifelong education through drama and theatre, including adults and communities, informal educational contexts as well as schools, colleges, universities and other formal institutions of learning. The journal documents, examines and disseminates scholarly accounts and critiques of research and praxis in a variety of applied theatre contexts including: theatre in political debate, social action and dissent; theatre for development; youth theatre; theatre in therapeutic settings; theatre in prisons; theatre in health education and awareness; theatre in human services such as aged care and hospitals; and theatre in business, commerce and conferences.

The journal also profiles and critically reflects on contemporary, innovative, unorthodox and radical practice of drama and theatre; drama and theatre in training contexts; performance work in multiple and cross-art forms including visual arts, music, storytelling, film and television, computer-generated graphic and narrative forms; performative events in community and public life; inter-cultural and cross-cultural drama and theatre forms; the political and ideological implications of theatre and drama; other implications of drama and theatre in applied and educational contexts, such as spiritual, metaphysical, therapeutic or playful.

Applied Theatre Research encourages articles that are contextualized, grounded in coherent and imaginative theory, and reflect or are illustrative of excellent practice. The journal recognises that all participants in theatrical and dramatic events can be seen as fully participant, and incorporates points of view of theatre workers (actors, directors, playwrights), spectators and other stakeholders such as educators and social policy makers.

The Board of Review assesses material for the quality of praxis where appropriate, as well as scholarly and critical content. The principal language is English; however, the journal will consider articles in other languages for which reviewers can be accessed, with abstracts in English. Editorial assistance may be given to those whose work is worthy of inclusion, but for whom the language of the article is not their first, or for whom the written word is not their forte. There is an explicit policy of making the articles stylistically accessible and readable to the range of readership. The journal encourages a range of presentational forms.