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An act of transgression: performing arts as a subject choice within a coastal area of deprivation

Colman, A; (2020) An act of transgression: performing arts as a subject choice within a coastal area of deprivation. Studies in Theatre and Performance , 40 (3) pp. 292-302. 10.1080/14682761.2020.1807206. Green open access

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Abstract

This paper examines the perceptions and aspirations of secondary school pupils interested in a career in the performing arts. The pupils in this case study were participating in drama-based courses and this research offers findings relevant for those working in schools, FE and HE, as well as the creative arts industries. This research is located within a coastal area of deprivation, Waveside, situated within England, UK. We have used fictional names for the towns, school and participants in this research, to offer anonymity. England’s coastal areas are often linked to deprivation. Within this context, a focus group of GCSE, A level and BTEC Drama pupils from Seagreen Secondary Academy, a secondary school in Waveside, provides the data that informs this research, with additional contextual narrative from the pupils’ teacher. The findings show that to study a performing arts subject is perceived by some pupils as an act of transgression. These pupils resisted neoliberal curriculum priorities resulting in tensions between school, parents and friends. Those acting as gate-keepers to professional actor training and other career opportunities within the arts, may need to review practices for recruitment and development support within marginalised communities.

Type: Article
Title: An act of transgression: performing arts as a subject choice within a coastal area of deprivation
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/14682761.2020.1807206
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1080/14682761.2020.1807206
Language: English
Additional information: © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
Keywords: Technologies of the self, transgression, coastal deprivation, subject choice, conservatoire, drama school
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Learning and Leadership
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10092206
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