Abstracts
Abstract
This article reflects on an arts-based Social Science and Humanities Research Council funded study (2021-24), entitled ‘Youth mental health performance: How young people respond to portrayals of mental health, resilience, and well-being in and through drama and performance creation.’ Secondary theatre students as co-researcher artists from Riverside Secondary School in Coquitlam, BC were invited to explore how mental health was portrayed in Canadian Theatre for Young Audiences plays. Participants responded to these portrayals through play analysis workshops and collective theatre devising and performance. This paper highlights voices of the participants, making their thoughts and impressions the centrepiece of the paper. Methodology integrated ethnotheatre/drama, research-based theatre, and poetic inquiry processes. This study aligned with university and school district ethics protocols.
Keywords:
- Mental health,
- theatre for young audiences,
- poetic inquiry,
- arts-based research
Résumé
Cet article propose une réflexion sur l’étude financée par le CRSH (2021-2024), intitulée : « Youth mental health performance: How young people respond to portrayals of mental health, resilience, and wellbeing in and through drama and performance creation. » Des élèves de théâtre au secondaire en Colombie-Britannique ont exploré les représentations de la santé mentale dans des oeuvres canadiennes de théâtre destinées au jeune public. Les participant·e·s ont répondu à ces représentations à travers des ateliers d’analyse dramaturgique ainsi que des processus collectifs de création et de performance théâtrales. L’article met en évidence les voix, les réflexions, et les impressions des participant·e·s. La méthodologie adoptée combine les approches de l’ethnodrame, du théâtre basé sur la recherche et de l’enquête poétique.
Mots-clés :
- Santé mentale,
- théâtre pour jeune public,
- enquête poétique,
- recherche fondée sur les arts
Appendices
Bibliography
- Aberle, R. (2022). Still/Falling and The Code: Two plays for young adults. Talonbooks.
- Barker, K. (2017). This is how we got here. Playwrights Canada Press.
- Byrne, G. (2017). Narrative inquiry and the problem of representation: ‘Giving voice’, making meaning. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 40(1), 62-81.
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. (2023). PlayME [podcast]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/211-playme
- Conrad, D. (2020). Youth participatory action research and applied theatre engagement: Supporting Indigenous youth survivance and resurgence. Theatre Research in Canada, (2), 258-277.
- Flint, A. (2024). Poetry, paths, and peatlands: Integrating poetic inquiry within landscape heritage research. Landscape Research, 49(1), 4-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2023.2237432
- Jones, E. A. K., Mitra, A. K., & Bhuiyan, A. R. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on mental health in adolescents: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5): 2470. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052470
- Lea, G. W., & Belliveau, G. (2016). Introduction. In G. Belliveau & G. W. Lea (Eds.), Research-based Theatre: An artistic methodology (pp. 3—12). Intellect.
- Pauluth-Penner, T. & Prendergast, M. (2023). Youth mental health performance: How young people respond to portrayals of mental health, resilience and well-being in and through drama and performance creation. Applied Theatre Research, 11(1), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.1386/atr_00074_1
- Prendergast, M. (2016). What I learn from theatregoing: Review haiku. Art/Research International, 1(1), 258-267. https://doi.org/10.18432/R23018
- Prendergast, M., Gouzouasis, P., Leggo, C., Irwin, R. & Grauer, K. (2009). A haiku suite: The importance of music-making in the lives of secondary school students. Music Education Researcher, 11(3), 303-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613800903144262
- Quintana, C. (2020). Selfie. Playwrights Canada Press.
- World Health Organization (2021). Guidance on community mental health services: Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches. World Health Organization.

