The Reflexive Teaching Artist – Review

From the Scottish Journal of Performance
Volume 2, Issue 1

I would highly recommend this text to teaching artists working in the drama/theatre field. The authors acknowledge their use of both ‘drama’ and ‘theatre’ in their title and justify their inclusion of both terms. While the definitions they provide for these concepts are quite specific, the examples of practice open up these terms to illustrate the commonalities in experiences of teaching in an artistic/educational context without making generalisations. The case studies are all recent and relevant, honest in tone, and genuinely reflexive, providing a refreshing perspective on the role of the contemporary artist/educator. The authors advocate Booth’s philosophy behind the concept of the ‘teaching artist’: that the individual who creates the learning environment is important. The collated voices and experiences throughout The Reflexive Teaching Artist testify to the practitioners’ own learning experiences encountered as educators and artists in the field. This study includes high-quality reflection on the issues surrounding the role of the teaching artist in the drama/theatre sector, while reflective exercises offer practical ways to embed these ideas and concepts into an existing teaching practice.