Theatre in EducationNEP 2020 and the Role of Theatre, Arts and Culturein Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

ISBN 978-93-93806-42-0

The book is a call to interact with a wide array of intellectual discussions on theatre, arts, and culture from a contemporary perspective. The articles in the collection share a theme that connects a varied range of topics related to theatre. Some of the articles included in this volume focus on theatre as an instrument for becoming socially aware and for transforming people. Articles such as “Awakening Consciousness: Lights Out as a Theatrical Engine for Social Transformation” and “The Transformative Power of Theatre in Developing Essential Skills” discuss the role of theatre in prompting people to consider certain social issues through critical thinking. Another category of articles discusses theatre as a means of learning certain skills and includes “Theatre: A Tool to Enhance Communication Skills” and “Theatre for Life Skills: A Practical Approach”. Some articles also highlight on issues related to gender and representation in literature and the arts. Articles such as “Reading Vijay Tendulkar’s Kamala from the Perspective of Marxist Feminism” and “The Male to Female Gaze: A Gendered Perspective in Indian Painting” explore power structures, patriarchal societies, and agency. Other works that build on this theme include “Gendered Resistance and Posthuman Control in Manjula Padmanabhan’s Harvest”, which explores identity and agency in contemporary times. The book also includes contributions that focus on the relationships between performance and theatre, as well as between history and politics. Articles such as “Resistance on the Streets: Lives of Ordinary People and Political Theatre in Satyajit Ray’s Calcutta Trilogy”, “Utpal Dutt’s Kallol”, and “Warriors on the Stage: Theatre in Medieval Spanish and Indian Epic Poetry” illustrate how performance practices overlap with political activism and history. Likewise, another work, entitled “Memory and Migration: Zarina Hashmi’s Artistic Narratives of Partition”, highlights the impact of art on migration. Qualitative research papers, such as those on Gen Z and the Case Studies of University students engaged in drama- based learning, reveal the endless potential of theatre in higher education institutions. Some of the selected papers explore aspects that contribute to the book's inter-disciplinary range. “Digital Theatre in the Age of Internet Culture” addresses issues of changing performance methods in a technologically mediated society, whereas “Interweaving Threads: Incorporating Theatrical Costume Design into Fashion Education” allows for dialogue between theatre and fashion design. Articles like “All the World’s a Stage: Global Stories in World Theatre” take the conversation to global levels and comparative studies. Overall, the selected articles reveal that theatre and the arts are not limited to their performance spaces but exist as methods of inquiry, addressing many issues in society, education, and social life. This book provides various approaches to studying theatre in connection with creative and critical thinking within the context of academic debates. We are sure that this book will inspire further work in theatre and the arts.