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.

This essay examines the dance pedagogical method Dance a Book together with a group of children aged four to five in preschool. The purpose is to investigate and make visible children's expressions when dance and words meet, based on children's agency in rhizome-based learning. Methodologically, this study is based on a/r/tography, which is a practical and aesthetically based research method where the researcher, through the body and own participation, can stay close to what has been investigated. Sequential analysis was used as the analysis method, which meant that analysis took place in the moment when the researcher gave instructions to the children to lead the work forward. Other documentation was logbook notes. The research results are analyzed with inspiration from some concepts in Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's philosophy of immanence. Child agency was also a concept that was consistently present in the studies. The results showed, when the children have opportunities to be creative in the dance pedagogical method Dance a Book, the children express themselves with variety both verbally and physically. Through improvisation and own creativity, not only children's development in dance was made visible, but also children's acquisition of the language and understanding of the book. The creative moment also led to joyful learning. Furthermore, this essay contributes additional knowledge to the field for showing a changed way of thinking, based on the philosophy of immanence that can create new ways of doing and learning in dance practice.

Dance a Book is a teaching method to combine children’s reading and language learning through creative Dance. The method promotes an artistic approach to use the body in dance and at the same time developing language and reading skills. By embodying the Book, with the help of dance, the children a given the opportunity for to get a higher comprehension of language and literature. The book in tur inspires movement, dance and expression. The method may be used with any book adapted to any age group. The main age groups have been children between the ages of two and nine. Dance a Book has been established in Pre-schools, Schools and Libraries all over Sweden. Lectures and workshops have also been held in some other countries such as Finland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Colombia and Hong Kong. The lecture demonstration is both an oral presentation and a physically workshop where participants are invited to Dance a book. The workshop combines reading, discussion, improvisation and dance. The method has been created in a collaboration between Sophia Färlin-Månsson and the State Library of Uppsala, Sweden partially funded by the Swedish art council.

“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.