PurposeThe paper presents and discusses an example of findings from a research project. Filmed material from teaching situations in theatre has been the starting point for analysing and planning similar teaching situations in research lessons, where variation theory was used. The aim of using variation theory is to develop teaching practices in the school subject of theatre at upper secondary school level in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approachIn the article, one example from the last part of a three-step research project design is discussed. In the third part of the design five research lessons, based on variation theory, were conducted. The starting point for planning the research lessons was teaching situations called didactic interventions, when the teacher interrupts the theatre rehearsals of a stage production and gives response on the student´s acting. The specific situations are used when planning five research lessons based on variation theory. In this paper, one example from one of the research lessons is presented, exemplifying how variation theory has been applied.

FindingsThe example shows how variation theory was used in analysing and facilitating teaching in the classroom. The findings suggest that teachers can use variation theory as a way to strengthen the student’s experience of specified objects of learning, in this case, interplay in acting. Another conclusion is that variation theory is helpful when planning whole class teaching situations in the school subject of theatre.

Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified need to study how to develop teaching practices in the school subject of theatre.

Den här uppsatsen undersöker den danspedagogiska metoden Dansa en bok tillsammans med en barngrupp i fyra till femårsåldern i förskolan. Syftet är att undersöka och synliggöra barns uttryck när dans och ord möts utifrån barns aktörskap i rhizomsikt lärande. Metodologiskt tar denna studie avstamp från a/r/tografi som är en praxisnära och estetik-baserad forskningsmetod där forskaren genom sin kropp och sitt egna deltagande kan hålla sig nära det som undersöktes. Som analysmetod användes sekventiell analys vilket innebar att analysen skedde direkt i forskningsstunden där forskarens instruktioner i växelspel med barnen ledde arbetet framåt. Övrig dokumentation skedde via loggboksanteckningar. Forskningsresultatet är analyserat med inspiration från några begrepp av Gilles Deleuze och Felix Guattaris immanensfilosofi. Även barns aktörskap var ett begrepp som genomgående var närvarande i studien. Resultatet visar att när barnen får möjlighet att vara kreativa i den danspedagogiska metoden Dansa en bok uttrycker sig barnen med variation både verbalt och kroppsligt. Genom improvisation och eget skapande synliggjordes inte bara barns utveckling i dans utan även barns tillägnande av språket och förståelse av boken. Den kreativa stunden ledde även till ett lustfyllt lärande. Ett ytterligare kunskapsbidrag i denna studie är att visa hur ett förändrat tänkande utifrån immanensfilosofi kan producera nya sätt för görande och lärande i danspraktiken.

Dansa en bok är en undervisningsmetod som kombinerar barns läsförståelse, språktillägnan och dans. Metoden främjar till ett konstnärligt förhållningssätt genom att dans används som medel för att utveckla barns språk och läsförståelse. Genom att ”sätta boken i kroppen” med hjälp av dans ges barnen möjlighet till kroppslig förståelse av litteratur och språk. Boken i sin tur inspirerar till rörelser, dans och uttryck. Metoden kan användas till valfri bok anpassad till valfri åldersgrupp. Främsta åldersgrupper har varit barn mellan två och nio år. Dansa en bok har etablerats på förskolor, skolor och bibliotek över hela Sverige. Föreläsningar och workshops har även gjort i en del i andra länder såsom Finland, Belgien, Tjeckien, Colombia och Hong Kong. Föreläsningsdemonstrationen består dels av en muntlig presentation samt en fysisk workshop där deltagare bjuds in till att Dansa en bok. Workshopen kombinerar läsning, diskussion, improvisation och dans. Metoden är framtagen i ett samarbete mellan Sophia Färlin-Månsson och Regionbiblioteket och Region Uppsala med delvis finansiering av Statens kulturråd.

“States Parties shall take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of society,” states paragraph 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 30 – Participation in cultural life,recreation, leisure and sport (CRPD) (UN General Assembly, 2006).In this book, disabled persons’ opportunities and challenges for developing creative, artistic, and intellectual potential are highlighted. Furthermore, both individual and societal enrichment, and barriers to this enrichment, are made visible.How might inclusive arts practices strengthen active citizenship and community participation? This is the main question that inspired us to engage with glocal collegial networks which led to this book project.

How might inclusive arts practices strengthen active citizenship and community participation? This is the main question that inspired the global collegial networks that led to this book project. The authors of the introductory chapter, 12 peer-reviewed research chapters and six practical encounters engage with theatre, performance, dance, visual arts and/or other cultural practices from critical disability perspectives in local contexts in the Global South and North. The authors critically present and discuss methods and models for inclusive and innovative arts and cultural citizenship practices that leverage off of disability as the special driving force and game changer for a more open society. The perspectives and practices elaborated on reveal how art-practice in the community is a way of activating partnership and participation. With this book the editors and authors argue that through artistic citizenship practices, the space and possibilities of being a citizen develop.

CO- CREATION - a research study of an artistic process and ownership with dancers and musicians with or without norm breaking functionalities.

This study takes departure from an artistic collaborative process where dancers and musicians, with and without norm breaking functionalities, explore various ways to co- create in dance and music. The focus of study is which conditions must be in place for co – creation and how these affect the artistic process. The participants experience of ownership is in focus.

The research is conducted with ethnography as starting point, such as participatory observation, introspection, interviews and logbooks. The empirical material is collected during 5 laboratories that took place between 2019–2023. Analysis methods are qualitative content analysis, multimodal analysis and reflexive introspection. Overarching theoretical perspective is norm critical, using Kalonaityte (2014) as a main reference. Also, a social semiotic perspective with a focus om multimodality is used, (Kress 2010, Van Lleuwen 2005).

The results show is presented in three parts: Collaborative process, Ownership and Conditions.

In the Collaborative process there are three aspects that are important; clear communication; balance between taking and giving initiative and process requires time.  Ownership has to do with various levels of ownership and hierarchy; the bodily abilities to make choices and freedom in relation to responsibility. Important Conditions for co-creation are clear frames and assignments; enough time (crip time) and space for difference.

Overall, the study points at the importance of education. Difference in performing dance and music is not necessarily due to different norm breaking abilities, but rather to lack of education on all levels (from childhood up to higher education) for dancers and musicians with norm breaking functionalities. Also, making space for different abilities and experiences challenges norms and can contribute to new artistic and aesthetic expressions that would enrich the artistic field of dance and music.

Kunstfagdidaktikk er en kunstnerisk, forskende og oppmerksom undervisningspraksis der lærer/forskerposisjonen er skapende, medlærende og medforskende. Det er hovedargumentet i denne vitenskapelige antologien, der kunstfagdidaktikk forstås som en aktiv aktør i samfunnet og samtiden. Kunstfagenes tradisjoner og didaktikker blir dermed åpne for reforhandling.

Målgruppen for boka er forskende lærerutdannere, lærere, kunstnere og studenter som er nysgjerrige på hvordan undervisning og forskning i og med kunstfag kan være en skapende, utforskende og performativ praksis i mulighetssøkende, kritisk og inkluderende endring.

Redaktørene er Tone Pernille Østern, Helene Illeris, Kristian Nødtvedt Knudsen, Sofia Jusslin og Kari Holdhus. De har bakgrunn i kunstformene dans, visuell kunst, drama/teater, språk og litteratur og musikk, og er alle tverrkunstfaglig orientert. Både redaktører og forfattere, som er kunstnere, lærere, lærerutdannere og/eller barnehagelærerutdannere, har over tid vært med på å skape, forme, praktisere og artikulere kunstfagdidaktikk i norsk og nordisk kontekst. 

Med Kunstfagdidaktikk som kunstnerisk, forskende og oppmerksom undervisningspraksis argumenterer redaktører og forfattere for kunstfagdidaktikk som en praksis som blir til gjennom å aktivere kunstens formskapende tilbud og, som på sitt beste, tilbyr kunstneriske opplevelser.

This chapter offers a critical look at how five disabled and non-disabledresearchers, and two commissioners experienced working with the project Artist– an accessible profession? A research project about artists with disabilities inNorway. Understanding the project as a collaborative learning process, they generatedresearch material for a post-project study through writing reflective notesprompted by the two questions: What surprised me? Were there specific learningmoments in the project? Dialoguing with theory from co-design research in criticaldisability studies, they scrutinize their own narrated experience and arrive atinsights about: how embodied knowing and nuances of crip time – articulated asslow time and timing, sustainable time, and time as a site of care – could challengeableist structures of theoretical knowing, efficient time and timing, competitivetime, and time as something to control. Without conscious action, such ableiststructures risk reproducing themselves not only in arts, culture, and society, butalso in research projects that critically examine precisely these ableist structures.