Riddell, John (2020) 'A door into the dark' : small spaces for theatre in Belfast, 1950-2020. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis focuses on small spaces for theatre in Belfast accommodating an audience of less than 500, and seeks to understand how each has evolved in relation to its community and the wider city, interrogating the drivers which provoked that evolution. Belfast in 2020 is the culmination of a century of changes in Northern Ireland, and this thesis is aware of the subtly distinctive and nuanced character of culture and identity in the Province, and the tensions this creates. The thesis asks how and to what extent the unique situation of Belfast has led to the current performance spaces and their relationship with their communities, and how this has changed since partition. The thesis is presented in three parts: part one establishes the historical, political and social context in Northern Ireland; part two sets out the theatrical context in Northern Ireland considering the cultural influences and arts strategies that preceded the inception of the modern Belfast venues, referencing theatres in towns around the Province; part three studies the history and development of two Belfast venues, the Lyric Theatre and the Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC), contrasting them against work in non-formal spaces. It asks what drove their creation, how their design and construction were funded and procured, and who were the individuals and groups involved in the process, offering a quantitative and qualitative assessment. The thesis is the practice-led work of a Belfast-born theatre consultant, combining methodologies from architecture, placemaking and theatre studies, with history, politics and cultural studies. It is supported by a second volume – an original curated resource of maps, architectural drawings and photographs, and a digital audio resource of original interviews with practitioners and architects. The thesis concludes by asking what the future holds for these buildings, the people who work in and use them, and their prospects for economic and cultural sustainability, including how it has needed to be rethought urgently in the midst of a global pandemic and the implications of Brexit.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NA Architecture N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Theaters -- Northern Ireland -- Belfast, Theaters -- Northern Ireland -- Belfast -- Social aspects, Theaters -- Northern Ireland -- Belfast -- Design and construction, Arts -- Northern Ireland -- Belfast -- Social aspects, Arts -- Northern Ireland -- Belfast -- Political aspects
Official Date:	September 2020
Dates:	Date Event September 2020 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Theatre and Performance Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Shewring, Margaret
Sponsors:	University of Warwick ; Theatre Projects Consultants Ltd. ; Society for Theatre Research
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	2 volumes : illustrations (some colour), colour maps, portraits, plans (some colour)
Language:	eng

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