%D 2025
%A Yunjing Huang
%I UCL (University College London)
%L discovery10203085
%X This PhD research project investigates the utilisation and public engagement of Performing Arts
Archives [PAAs] and explores their role in shaping theatre heritage discourse. It specifically
addresses the question of how PAAs can act as agents in democratising the process of shaping
theatre’s cultural memory as a channel for theatrical encounters. Drawing on Marvin Carlson’s
concepts of ‘the entire theatre experience’ and ‘ghosting nature,’ this study conceptualises theatre
heritage as the process through which cultural memory is shaped by past theatre experiences and
operates in the meaning-making process of future theatrical encounters, informed by the historical,
cultural, and social elements of attending performances.
The research adopts a people-centred public engagement model that emphasises meaningful and
participatory interaction with PAAs to bridge them with theatre heritage discourse. This model
comprises two initiatives: bottom-up engagement and empowerment. It prioritises encouraging
subjective responses and affective engagement, empowering participants to create new meanings
and alternative interpretations of archival materials. Through case studies of three prominent UK
cultural institutions—the National Theatre Archive, the V&A Theatre and Performance Collections,
and the University of Bristol Theatre Collection—this study examines existing public engagement
practices and identifies strengths and limitations in their strategies.
Findings reveal that while current practices tend to rely on traditional, top-down models,
encapsulated in the Public Engagement of Learning [PEL] mode, some projects adopt more
inclusive engagement through a Public Engagement of the Social and Civic [PESC] framework.
Despite its intent to promote inclusivity, PESC can itself be problematic when practitioner-led
frameworks centralise authority, limiting diverse voices and neglecting the emotional dimensions
of audience interactions with PAAs. This hinders the achievement of the two initiatives within
people-centred public engagement. In response to my observations from the case studies, I develop
what I call an object-based oral history approach to better fulfil the initiatives within this framework.
This approach integrates oral history and Revisiting Collections methodologies, encouraging
participants to interact with archival materials meaningfully, allowing them to reinterpret and
recontextualise their experiences within the framework of theatre heritage. By prioritising affective
engagement, the approach expands the interpretations of PAAs and democratises the process of
meaning-making, enabling a broader spectrum of voices to contribute to the cultural narrative within
theatre heritage discourse. A pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of this approach, which serves
as the fourth case study, indicates that the object-based oral history approach transforms PAAs from
static historical documents into dynamic cultural objects that actively engage audiences and
facilitate interaction, interpretation, and meaning-making. Unlike static objects, which remain fixed
in their significance, dynamic cultural objects evolve in meaning through the experiences, emotions,
and contexts of those who engage with them. This concept emphasises the role of cultural objects
as catalysts for dialogue, reflection, and community participation, allowing diverse perspectives and
interpretations to emerge over time. 
Ultimately, this research contributes to the ongoing construction of theatre heritage by proposing a
new model of public engagement that prioritises subjective and experiential dimensions. This
research successfully addresses the question of how PAAs can act as agents in democratising
cultural memory within theatre heritage. The findings demonstrate that PAAs can be transformed to
dynamic cultural objects that inspire diverse interpretations. This transformation is facilitated by the
object-based oral history approach, which fosters meaningful, people-centred engagement focused
on affective engagement. Participants are empowered to contribute to theatre heritage discourse by
generating new meanings and alternative interpretations. By recalling and recontextualising
personal experiences, engaging with PAAs becomes integral to ‘the entire theatre experience’,
shaping cultural memory and enhancing future meaning-making processes.
%T Performing Arts Archives as Public Engagement: An Exploration and Expansion of Theatre Heritage
%O Copyright © The Author 2025.  Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).  Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms.  Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.