Playing Your Role: Identity and Community-Based Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland

Matt Jennings

Playing Your Role: Identity and Community-Based Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In Northern Ireland, notions of identity and community are fraught. Thesecategories were, and are still, potential fields of conflict. Traditional definitions ofidentity and community are being challenged by new political structures and rapidchanges to the cultural landscape. Arts practitioners and organisations negotiatethis landscape while struggling with the requirements of cultural policy, jugglingill-defined concepts of ‘empowerment’, ‘impact assessment’ and ‘standards ofexcellence’. In such a context, experiences and outcomes on the ground test theboundaries of theoretical discourse.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	103-125
Journal	About Performance
Volume	9
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 2009

Bibliographical note

Reference text: Anderson, James. 2008. “Partition, consociation, border-crossing: some lessons
from the national conflict in Ireland/Northern Ireland.” Nations and Nationalism
14 (1): 85–104.
Baron Cohen, Dan and James King. 1997. “Dramatherapy: radical intervention
or counter-insurgency?” In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3.
London: Routledge, 269-83.
Boal, Augusto. 1979. Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto Press.
Boon, R. and J. Plastow (eds). 2004. Theatre and Empowerment: Community Drama
on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Boyce, George. 1991. “Northern Ireland: a place apart?” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture
and Politics in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press,
13-25.
Bell, David. 1998. “Modernising history: the real politik of heritage and cultural
tradition in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland:
Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 228-
52.
Cross-Border Consortium. 2003. “Submission on ‘A Shared Future: Consultation
Paper.’” (www.cpa.ie/publications/2003_Sub_SharedFuture.pdf). Accessed
October 2006.
Cleveland, William. 2005. Making Exact Change: How U.S. Arts-based Programs Have
Made a Significant and Sustained Positive Impact on their Communities. Saxpahaw, NC:
Art in the Public Interest.
European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. 2004. EU Programme for Peace
and Reconciliation. (http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/about_us/office_in_
northern_ireland/funding/peaceii.pdf). Accessed October 2006.
Finlayson, A. 1999. “Loyalist political identity after the peace.” Capital and Class
69: 47-75.
Fitzgerald, Sandy (ed). 2005. An Outburst of Frankness. Cork: New Island.
Freire, Paulo. 1972. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos.
Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
Gilmore, Irene, Nikki Graham, Philip Spotswood and Michael Willis. 2006.
StatisDCAL – The Arts in Northern Ireland: Findings from the 2004/2005 Continuous
Household Survey. (www.dcalni.gov.uk/statisdcal_the_arts_in_northern_ireland_
dcal_research_and_statistical_bulletin_3_2006.pdf). Accessed September 2006.
Grant, D. 1993. Playing the Wild Card: A Survey of Community Drama and Smaller-
Scale Theatre from a Community Relations Perspective. Belfast: Community Relations
Council.
Habermas, Jürgen. 1984. The Theory of Communicative Action: Volume 1, Reason and the
Rationalisation of Society. Translated by Thomas McCarthy. London: Heinemann.
Hayes, Bernadette and Ian McAllister. 2001. “Who voted for peace? Public support
for the 1998 Northern Ireland agreement.” Irish Political Studies 16 (1): 73-93.
Hayes, M. 2002. “Neither Orange March nor Irish Jig: finding compromise in
Northern Ireland.” In M. Elliott (ed). The Long Road to Peace in Northern Ireland.
Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 96-108.
Hughes, E. (ed). 1991. Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland, 1960-1990. Milton
Keynes and Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Jennings, Sue. 1997. Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge.
Kelly, Owen. 1984. Community, Art and the State: Storming the Citadels. London:
Comedia.
Kershaw, Baz. 1992. The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre as Cultural Intervention.
London and New York: Routledge.
Lederach, John Paul. 1995. Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation across Cultures.
New York: Syracuse University Press.
—. 2005. The Moral Imagination: the Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford/New
York: Oxford University Press.
McCormack, Maeve. 2008. Final Evaluation Report: Crossover 3 Community Theatre
Project. Monaghan: Border Action.
McCoy, G. 2000. “Women, community and politics in Northern Ireland.” In C.
Roulston and C. Davies (eds). Gender, Democracy and Inclusion in Northern Ireland.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 3-23.
McIlroy, B. 1996. When the Ulster Protestant and Unionist looks: spectatorship in
(Northern) Irish cinema.” Irish University Review 26 (1): 143-154.
McKittrick, David. 2004. “Ulster to tackle segregation with mixed housing
estates.” The Independent UK, 6 April.
Maguire, Tom. 2006. Making Theatre in Northern Ireland: Through and Beyond the
Troubles. Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
Matarasso, François. 1997. Use or Ornament? The Social Impact of Participation in the
Arts. Stroud: Comedia.
—. 1998. Vital Signs: Mapping Community Arts in Belfast. Stroud: Comedia.
—. 2003. “Smoke and mirrors: a response to Paola Merli’s ‘Evaluating the
social impact of participation in arts activities’, IJCP, 2002, vol. 8 (1).” International
Journal of Cultural Policy 9 (3): 337-346.
—. 2006. ACNI Review of the Strategic Plan 2001-2006: Summary. Belfast: Deloitte
MCS. (www.artscouncilni.org/news/2006/review_of_strategy_report.pdf).
Accessed September 2006.
Merli, Paola. 2002. “Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities.”
International Journal of Cultural Policy 8 (1): 107-118.
Miller, D. 1998. “Colonialism and academic representations of the Troubles.” In
D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London:
Addison Wesley Longman, 3-40.
Moriarty, Gerri. 2004. “The Wedding Community Play Project: a cross-community
production in Northern Ireland.” In R. Boon and J. Plastow (eds). Theatre and
Empowerment: Community Drama on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 13-32.
O’Dowd, L. 1998. “‘New Unionism’, British nationalism and the prospects for a
negotiated settlement in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern
Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman, 70-
93.
Osborne, R. D. 2004. “Education and the labour market.” In B. Osborne and I.
Shuttleworth (eds). Fair Employment in Northern Ireland: A Generation On. Belfast:
Blackstaff Press.
Peter Quinn Consultancy Services. 2008. The Playhouse Derry: The ArtsYard Project
Final Evaluation. Enniskillen: Peter Quinn Consultancy Services.
Pilkington, Lionel. 1994. “Dan Baron Cohen: resistance to liberation with Derry
Frontline Culture and Education.” TDR: The Drama Review 38 (4): 17-47.
Poulter, Chrissie. 1997. Children of the Troubles. In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy:
Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge, 304-14.
Prentki, Tim and Jan Selman. 2003. Popular Theatre in Political Culture. Bristol:
Intellect.
Rolston, B. 1998. “What’s wrong with multiculturalism? Liberalism and the
Irish conflict.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and
Colonialism, London: Addison Wesley Longman, 253-75.
Ruane, J. and J. Todd. 1991. “‘Why can’t you get along with each other?’ Culture,
structure and the Northern Ireland conflict.” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture and Politics
in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 27-43.
—. 1996. The Dynamics of Conflict in Northern Ireland: Power, Conflict and
Emancipation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Todd, Jennifer. 1987. “Two traditions in Unionist political culture.” Irish Political
Studies 2: 1-26.
—. 2005. “Social transformation, collective categories and identity change.”
Theory and Society 34: 429–463.
Williams, Deidre. 1995. Creating Social Capital: A Study of the Long-term Benefits
from Community Based Arts Funding. Adelaide: Community Arts Network of South
Australia.

Keywords

applied drama
community drama
conflict transformation
Northern Ireland
identity

Access to Document

http://uir.ulster.ac.uk/30703/1/Matt_Jennings__About_Performance_9_Article.pdf

Cite this

@article{ffa06ba83645417b8e3f978ccda5f64e,

title = "Playing Your Role: Identity and Community-Based Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland",

abstract = "In Northern Ireland, notions of identity and community are fraught. Thesecategories were, and are still, potential fields of conflict. Traditional definitions ofidentity and community are being challenged by new political structures and rapidchanges to the cultural landscape. Arts practitioners and organisations negotiatethis landscape while struggling with the requirements of cultural policy, jugglingill-defined concepts of {\textquoteleft}empowerment{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}impact assessment{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}standards ofexcellence{\textquoteright}. In such a context, experiences and outcomes on the ground test theboundaries of theoretical discourse.",

keywords = "applied drama, community drama, conflict transformation, Northern Ireland, identity",

author = "Matt Jennings",

note = "Reference text: Anderson, James. 2008. “Partition, consociation, border-crossing: some lessons from the national conflict in Ireland/Northern Ireland.” Nations and Nationalism 14 (1): 85–104. Baron Cohen, Dan and James King. 1997. “Dramatherapy: radical intervention or counter-insurgency?” In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge, 269-83. Boal, Augusto. 1979. Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto Press. Boon, R. and J. Plastow (eds). 2004. Theatre and Empowerment: Community Drama on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Boyce, George. 1991. “Northern Ireland: a place apart?” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 13-25. Bell, David. 1998. “Modernising history: the real politik of heritage and cultural tradition in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 228- 52. Cross-Border Consortium. 2003. “Submission on {\textquoteleft}A Shared Future: Consultation Paper.{\textquoteright}” (www.cpa.ie/publications/2003_Sub_SharedFuture.pdf). Accessed October 2006. Cleveland, William. 2005. Making Exact Change: How U.S. Arts-based Programs Have Made a Significant and Sustained Positive Impact on their Communities. Saxpahaw, NC: Art in the Public Interest. European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. 2004. EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. (http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/about_us/office_in_ northern_ireland/funding/peaceii.pdf). Accessed October 2006. Finlayson, A. 1999. “Loyalist political identity after the peace.” Capital and Class 69: 47-75. Fitzgerald, Sandy (ed). 2005. An Outburst of Frankness. Cork: New Island. Freire, Paulo. 1972. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Gilmore, Irene, Nikki Graham, Philip Spotswood and Michael Willis. 2006. StatisDCAL – The Arts in Northern Ireland: Findings from the 2004/2005 Continuous Household Survey. (www.dcalni.gov.uk/statisdcal_the_arts_in_northern_ireland_ dcal_research_and_statistical_bulletin_3_2006.pdf). Accessed September 2006. Grant, D. 1993. Playing the Wild Card: A Survey of Community Drama and Smaller- Scale Theatre from a Community Relations Perspective. Belfast: Community Relations Council. Habermas, J{\"u}rgen. 1984. The Theory of Communicative Action: Volume 1, Reason and the Rationalisation of Society. Translated by Thomas McCarthy. London: Heinemann. Hayes, Bernadette and Ian McAllister. 2001. “Who voted for peace? Public support for the 1998 Northern Ireland agreement.” Irish Political Studies 16 (1): 73-93. Hayes, M. 2002. “Neither Orange March nor Irish Jig: finding compromise in Northern Ireland.” In M. Elliott (ed). The Long Road to Peace in Northern Ireland. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 96-108. Hughes, E. (ed). 1991. Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland, 1960-1990. Milton Keynes and Philadelphia: Open University Press. Jennings, Sue. 1997. Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge. Kelly, Owen. 1984. Community, Art and the State: Storming the Citadels. London: Comedia. Kershaw, Baz. 1992. The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre as Cultural Intervention. London and New York: Routledge. Lederach, John Paul. 1995. Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation across Cultures. New York: Syracuse University Press. —. 2005. The Moral Imagination: the Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. McCormack, Maeve. 2008. Final Evaluation Report: Crossover 3 Community Theatre Project. Monaghan: Border Action. McCoy, G. 2000. “Women, community and politics in Northern Ireland.” In C. Roulston and C. Davies (eds). Gender, Democracy and Inclusion in Northern Ireland. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 3-23. McIlroy, B. 1996. When the Ulster Protestant and Unionist looks: spectatorship in (Northern) Irish cinema.” Irish University Review 26 (1): 143-154. McKittrick, David. 2004. “Ulster to tackle segregation with mixed housing estates.” The Independent UK, 6 April. Maguire, Tom. 2006. Making Theatre in Northern Ireland: Through and Beyond the Troubles. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. Matarasso, Fran{\c c}ois. 1997. Use or Ornament? The Social Impact of Participation in the Arts. Stroud: Comedia. —. 1998. Vital Signs: Mapping Community Arts in Belfast. Stroud: Comedia. —. 2003. “Smoke and mirrors: a response to Paola Merli{\textquoteright}s {\textquoteleft}Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities{\textquoteright}, IJCP, 2002, vol. 8 (1).” International Journal of Cultural Policy 9 (3): 337-346. —. 2006. ACNI Review of the Strategic Plan 2001-2006: Summary. Belfast: Deloitte MCS. (www.artscouncilni.org/news/2006/review_of_strategy_report.pdf). Accessed September 2006. Merli, Paola. 2002. “Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities.” International Journal of Cultural Policy 8 (1): 107-118. Miller, D. 1998. “Colonialism and academic representations of the Troubles.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman, 3-40. Moriarty, Gerri. 2004. “The Wedding Community Play Project: a cross-community production in Northern Ireland.” In R. Boon and J. Plastow (eds). Theatre and Empowerment: Community Drama on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 13-32. O{\textquoteright}Dowd, L. 1998. “{\textquoteleft}New Unionism{\textquoteright}, British nationalism and the prospects for a negotiated settlement in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman, 70- 93. Osborne, R. D. 2004. “Education and the labour market.” In B. Osborne and I. Shuttleworth (eds). Fair Employment in Northern Ireland: A Generation On. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. Peter Quinn Consultancy Services. 2008. The Playhouse Derry: The ArtsYard Project Final Evaluation. Enniskillen: Peter Quinn Consultancy Services. Pilkington, Lionel. 1994. “Dan Baron Cohen: resistance to liberation with Derry Frontline Culture and Education.” TDR: The Drama Review 38 (4): 17-47. Poulter, Chrissie. 1997. Children of the Troubles. In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge, 304-14. Prentki, Tim and Jan Selman. 2003. Popular Theatre in Political Culture. Bristol: Intellect. Rolston, B. 1998. “What{\textquoteright}s wrong with multiculturalism? Liberalism and the Irish conflict.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism, London: Addison Wesley Longman, 253-75. Ruane, J. and J. Todd. 1991. “{\textquoteleft}Why can{\textquoteright}t you get along with each other?{\textquoteright} Culture, structure and the Northern Ireland conflict.” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 27-43. —. 1996. The Dynamics of Conflict in Northern Ireland: Power, Conflict and Emancipation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Todd, Jennifer. 1987. “Two traditions in Unionist political culture.” Irish Political Studies 2: 1-26. —. 2005. “Social transformation, collective categories and identity change.” Theory and Society 34: 429–463. Williams, Deidre. 1995. Creating Social Capital: A Study of the Long-term Benefits from Community Based Arts Funding. Adelaide: Community Arts Network of South Australia.",

year = "2009",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "103--125",

journal = "About Performance",

publisher = "University of Sydney",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Playing Your Role: Identity and Community-Based Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland

AU - Jennings, Matt

N1 - Reference text: Anderson, James. 2008. “Partition, consociation, border-crossing: some lessons from the national conflict in Ireland/Northern Ireland.” Nations and Nationalism 14 (1): 85–104. Baron Cohen, Dan and James King. 1997. “Dramatherapy: radical intervention or counter-insurgency?” In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge, 269-83. Boal, Augusto. 1979. Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto Press. Boon, R. and J. Plastow (eds). 2004. Theatre and Empowerment: Community Drama on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Boyce, George. 1991. “Northern Ireland: a place apart?” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 13-25. Bell, David. 1998. “Modernising history: the real politik of heritage and cultural tradition in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 228- 52. Cross-Border Consortium. 2003. “Submission on ‘A Shared Future: Consultation Paper.’” (www.cpa.ie/publications/2003_Sub_SharedFuture.pdf). Accessed October 2006. Cleveland, William. 2005. Making Exact Change: How U.S. Arts-based Programs Have Made a Significant and Sustained Positive Impact on their Communities. Saxpahaw, NC: Art in the Public Interest. European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. 2004. EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. (http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/about_us/office_in_ northern_ireland/funding/peaceii.pdf). Accessed October 2006. Finlayson, A. 1999. “Loyalist political identity after the peace.” Capital and Class 69: 47-75. Fitzgerald, Sandy (ed). 2005. An Outburst of Frankness. Cork: New Island. Freire, Paulo. 1972. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Gilmore, Irene, Nikki Graham, Philip Spotswood and Michael Willis. 2006. StatisDCAL – The Arts in Northern Ireland: Findings from the 2004/2005 Continuous Household Survey. (www.dcalni.gov.uk/statisdcal_the_arts_in_northern_ireland_ dcal_research_and_statistical_bulletin_3_2006.pdf). Accessed September 2006. Grant, D. 1993. Playing the Wild Card: A Survey of Community Drama and Smaller- Scale Theatre from a Community Relations Perspective. Belfast: Community Relations Council. Habermas, Jürgen. 1984. The Theory of Communicative Action: Volume 1, Reason and the Rationalisation of Society. Translated by Thomas McCarthy. London: Heinemann. Hayes, Bernadette and Ian McAllister. 2001. “Who voted for peace? Public support for the 1998 Northern Ireland agreement.” Irish Political Studies 16 (1): 73-93. Hayes, M. 2002. “Neither Orange March nor Irish Jig: finding compromise in Northern Ireland.” In M. Elliott (ed). The Long Road to Peace in Northern Ireland. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 96-108. Hughes, E. (ed). 1991. Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland, 1960-1990. Milton Keynes and Philadelphia: Open University Press. Jennings, Sue. 1997. Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge. Kelly, Owen. 1984. Community, Art and the State: Storming the Citadels. London: Comedia. Kershaw, Baz. 1992. The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre as Cultural Intervention. London and New York: Routledge. Lederach, John Paul. 1995. Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation across Cultures. New York: Syracuse University Press. —. 2005. The Moral Imagination: the Art and Soul of Building Peace. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. McCormack, Maeve. 2008. Final Evaluation Report: Crossover 3 Community Theatre Project. Monaghan: Border Action. McCoy, G. 2000. “Women, community and politics in Northern Ireland.” In C. Roulston and C. Davies (eds). Gender, Democracy and Inclusion in Northern Ireland. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 3-23. McIlroy, B. 1996. When the Ulster Protestant and Unionist looks: spectatorship in (Northern) Irish cinema.” Irish University Review 26 (1): 143-154. McKittrick, David. 2004. “Ulster to tackle segregation with mixed housing estates.” The Independent UK, 6 April. Maguire, Tom. 2006. Making Theatre in Northern Ireland: Through and Beyond the Troubles. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. Matarasso, François. 1997. Use or Ornament? The Social Impact of Participation in the Arts. Stroud: Comedia. —. 1998. Vital Signs: Mapping Community Arts in Belfast. Stroud: Comedia. —. 2003. “Smoke and mirrors: a response to Paola Merli’s ‘Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities’, IJCP, 2002, vol. 8 (1).” International Journal of Cultural Policy 9 (3): 337-346. —. 2006. ACNI Review of the Strategic Plan 2001-2006: Summary. Belfast: Deloitte MCS. (www.artscouncilni.org/news/2006/review_of_strategy_report.pdf). Accessed September 2006. Merli, Paola. 2002. “Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities.” International Journal of Cultural Policy 8 (1): 107-118. Miller, D. 1998. “Colonialism and academic representations of the Troubles.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman, 3-40. Moriarty, Gerri. 2004. “The Wedding Community Play Project: a cross-community production in Northern Ireland.” In R. Boon and J. Plastow (eds). Theatre and Empowerment: Community Drama on the World Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 13-32. O’Dowd, L. 1998. “‘New Unionism’, British nationalism and the prospects for a negotiated settlement in Northern Ireland.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism. London: Addison Wesley Longman, 70- 93. Osborne, R. D. 2004. “Education and the labour market.” In B. Osborne and I. Shuttleworth (eds). Fair Employment in Northern Ireland: A Generation On. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. Peter Quinn Consultancy Services. 2008. The Playhouse Derry: The ArtsYard Project Final Evaluation. Enniskillen: Peter Quinn Consultancy Services. Pilkington, Lionel. 1994. “Dan Baron Cohen: resistance to liberation with Derry Frontline Culture and Education.” TDR: The Drama Review 38 (4): 17-47. Poulter, Chrissie. 1997. Children of the Troubles. In Sue Jennings (ed). Dramatherapy: Theory and Practice 3. London: Routledge, 304-14. Prentki, Tim and Jan Selman. 2003. Popular Theatre in Political Culture. Bristol: Intellect. Rolston, B. 1998. “What’s wrong with multiculturalism? Liberalism and the Irish conflict.” In D. Miller (ed). Rethinking Northern Ireland: Culture, Ideology and Colonialism, London: Addison Wesley Longman, 253-75. Ruane, J. and J. Todd. 1991. “‘Why can’t you get along with each other?’ Culture, structure and the Northern Ireland conflict.” In E. Hughes (ed). Culture and Politics in Northern Ireland 1960-1990. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 27-43. —. 1996. The Dynamics of Conflict in Northern Ireland: Power, Conflict and Emancipation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Todd, Jennifer. 1987. “Two traditions in Unionist political culture.” Irish Political Studies 2: 1-26. —. 2005. “Social transformation, collective categories and identity change.” Theory and Society 34: 429–463. Williams, Deidre. 1995. Creating Social Capital: A Study of the Long-term Benefits from Community Based Arts Funding. Adelaide: Community Arts Network of South Australia.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - In Northern Ireland, notions of identity and community are fraught. Thesecategories were, and are still, potential fields of conflict. Traditional definitions ofidentity and community are being challenged by new political structures and rapidchanges to the cultural landscape. Arts practitioners and organisations negotiatethis landscape while struggling with the requirements of cultural policy, jugglingill-defined concepts of ‘empowerment’, ‘impact assessment’ and ‘standards ofexcellence’. In such a context, experiences and outcomes on the ground test theboundaries of theoretical discourse.

AB - In Northern Ireland, notions of identity and community are fraught. Thesecategories were, and are still, potential fields of conflict. Traditional definitions ofidentity and community are being challenged by new political structures and rapidchanges to the cultural landscape. Arts practitioners and organisations negotiatethis landscape while struggling with the requirements of cultural policy, jugglingill-defined concepts of ‘empowerment’, ‘impact assessment’ and ‘standards ofexcellence’. In such a context, experiences and outcomes on the ground test theboundaries of theoretical discourse.

KW - applied drama

KW - community drama

KW - conflict transformation

KW - Northern Ireland

KW - identity

M3 - Article

VL - 9

SP - 103

EP - 125

JO - About Performance

JF - About Performance

ER -

Playing Your Role: Identity and Community-Based Performance in Contemporary Northern Ireland

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this