Empowerment and a changing curriculum: keynote address NADIE conference, July 1, 1994

ABSTRACT

This keynote address was presented by Wayne Fairhead for the 1994 National Conference of NADIE, the National Association for Drama in Education (now Drama Australia) held in Fremantle, Western Australia. It explores the concepts of empowerment in drama and theatre education and contextualises Australian curriculum developments in 1994, through sharing experiences from the development of Dramatic Arts Standards in Ontario, Canada. This paper is published in 2021 for its ongoing relevance to the ongoing development of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts (ACARA) and contemporary questions about the potential for empowerment through education. The introduction and footnotes contextualises the original keynote and contemporary issues.

KEYWORDS:

• Drama education
• drama and theatre curriculum
• empowerment
• curriculum change

Acknowledgments

Images Robin Pascoe.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Robin Pascoe: As a student at UWA a generation after Wayne by that time Jeanna Bradley was only an occasional visitor to the campus. But the New Fortune Theatre was on my daily round. I sat inside it to eat lunch and walked past into tutorials and lectures. On the campus there are at least 5 theatres – The New Fortune, The Octagon, The Dolphin, Winthrop Hall and the Sunken Gardens. (https://www.uwa.edu.au/theatres/home). A vibrant investment and legacy.

Sadly, only one unit at a 3rd level option is available and it is not being offered in 2021.

2. During the 1990’s a hot issue in Canada was the movement for Quebec’s Independence. Quebec, a province in Canada since its foundation in 1867, was a majority French-speaking province and affirmed the province’s French and Catholic identity within Canada. The 1995 Quebec independence referendum asked voters in the majority French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should proclaim national sovereignty and become an independent country, with the condition precedent of offering a political and economic agreement to Canada. At the time of the Keynote, this was a topic of political and social consequence.

3. The title of the Conference was Pulling the Strings

4. Both schools were featured in the Conference program.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Not applicable [N/A].

Notes on contributors

Robin Pascoe

At the time of presenting the keynote Wayne Fairhead, was a teacher, consultant, teacher educator in Ontario, Canada, and the Executive Director of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. He was the Director of the 4th IDEA World Congress, held in Ottawa, Canada in July 2004. He is now retired.

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Robin Pascoe is an Honorary Fellow, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education (SHEE), Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. From 2002-2019 he was Senior Lecturer Arts and Drama Education in the School of Education at Murdoch University. Robin held leadership positions in DramaWest, NADIE National Association for Drama in Education (now, Drama Australia) and was chair of the National Affiliation of Arts Educators NAAE. He was President IDEA the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association 2013-2020 and is Immediate Past President.

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ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9650-892X