Hart, Natalie (2013) In-between zones : the impact of class and ethnicity on engagement with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's youth theatre (The Young REP). PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The aim of this collaborative doctoral research project, funded by the Arts and Humanities
Research Council (AHRC), is to explore the interrelationships of internationalism and
multiculturalism and how they impact upon the aesthetic and ethical practices of the youth
theatre groups (The Young REP) fostered by The Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Examining spatial dynamics, this research explores the hypothesis that there are ‘inbetween
zones’ generated by internationalism and multiculturalism which may provide
ethical as well as aesthetic space for promoting community based theatre projects with
young people of varied ethnicities.
I focus on three of nine youth theatre groups organised by the theatre and explore their
relationship with the theatre and each other. The groups had differing access to the
theatre building - occasional audience members (case study one), occasional performers
(case study two), and regularly rehearsing/performing at the theatre (case study three).
The study discovered that the more insider access a young person has to a theatre the
deeper the levels of meaning they ascribe to it.
Case study one is based in a community with a majority Muslim Pakistani population.
Highlighting the specific realities of being young and Muslim in 2011, the research explores
the role that ethnicity has on engagement with the theatre and the youth theatre.
Case study two is based in a working class community. Interrogating the young people’s
own assessment of their area as ‘chavy’, the research highlights the impact of class on
accessing The REP and its youth theatre.
The final study explores the relationship to the theatre of a youth theatre group which
rehearsed inside the building and the consequences of the theatre closing for
refurbishment for two years. It also examines why this centrally based youth theatre group
was unrepresentative of city demographics. I conclude by reflecting on the effectiveness of
the strategies implemented by the theatre.
This study should be relevant to other theatres, youth theatres and organisations seeking
to increase their accessibility and cultural representation.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LC Special aspects of education P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Theater and youth -- England -- Birmingham, Theater and society -- England -- Birmingham, Ethnicity in the theater
Official Date:	August 2013
Dates:	Date Event August 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute of Education
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Winston, Joe, 1953-
Extent:	326 leaves : charts.
Language:	eng

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