Reflection Report on the Intervention Plan: “Voices of Diversity in Theatre: Exploring Race and Learning Strategies”

Intervention Design

The intervention, “Voices of Diversity in Theatre: Exploring Race and Learning Strategies,” aims to create a series of one-minute self-shot videos featuring diverse theatre practitioners discussing their racial identity and unique learning strategies. The purpose is to provide BAME theatre practitioners with an online platform to express their own situations as artists of minority ethnicities. It is also very important to note that this intervention aims to provide theatre studies students with accessible, authentic self-learning resources that foster greater awareness, inclusivity, and critical engagement within the discipline.

To execute the intervention, the recruitment of 30 practitioners from various racial and ethnic backgrounds is a critical step, ensuring broad representation. Technical support will be provided to practitioners unfamiliar with video creation, along with clear content guidelines to maintain coherence and quality.

Intersectional Contexts for BAME and Awarding Gap

White privilege is especially prominent among theatre artists in the UK. It is the social consequence that the cultural capital of the working classes and certain ethnic groups is devalued and delegitimized (Burke and McManus, 2011) in this sector. In the UK, BAME practitioners especially struggle with learning difficulties and employment impediments. For example, Ashley Thorpe indicates that most East Asian theatre practitioners have been facing difficulties ranging from learning to working in the UK (2018). So far, there are only two consistently funded East Asian theatre groups (New Earth Theatre and Tara Arts Theatre) in the UK, while there are hundreds of thousands of East Asian immigrants in this country (Thorpe, 2018). The arts and culture of minority ethnic groups are largely ignored both by the government and the education system. Some East Asian theatre productions are only taught as an alternative to supporting white privilege (Thorpe, 2009). This reflects what Burke and McManus argue: dominant groups make inequalities seem just and natural by perpetuating the illusion of ‘meritocracy.’ The theatre industry is particularly problematic in maintaining minority theatres in a less supported position. Although BAME practitioners are encouraged to appear on stage and screen, almost all the leadership roles in this sector are held by white, middle-aged, middle-class males, which explicitly and implicitly conveys the message that there is a ceiling for BAME theatre artists’ career pathways.

My discussion above on the struggles of East Asian theatre reflects my own positionality as an East Asian Chinese educator and practitioner, sharing the same race and much of the cultural knowledge with this group. However, it should be noted that BAME includes a broader range of ethnicities beyond East Asian or Chinese in the theatre industries and higher education. At UAL, the largest awarding gap is among Black students rather than East Asian students.

In education, at UAL, the awarding gaps between white and BAME students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels remain significant. In 2022-2023, white students accounted for 67% of Year 1 home undergraduates and 77% of home postgraduate taught students. For attainment, in 2022-2023, colleges such as LCF, where performing arts subjects are prevalent, showed that Asian students’ attainment was 70%, while white students’ attainment was 87% at the undergraduate level. These problems are compounded by the fact that many BAME students are not provided with a full understanding of the ways of working and the cultures of British higher education, such as academic conventions in the Western style. The English language is another significant challenge for BAME students, which has not been fully addressed by universities. They are not provided with sufficient support.

Intersectionality and Positionality 

or the project to involve practitioners of diverse racial backgrounds in this social media campaign, my own experiences of discrimination—including those based on gender, race, age, and sexuality during my time as a student—offer valuable insights. My positionality enables me to better understand the experiences of BAME practitioners and students through personal reminiscences. As an educator, my positionality is informed by my cultural, academic, and professional experiences, which shape my understanding of systemic inequities and my commitment to social justice. However, inclusivity extends beyond recognizing the privileges of the white group and the disadvantages faced by BAME individuals at the racial level.

My teaching practice is rooted in the intercultural study of theatre within higher education, with a particular emphasis on exploring critical issues such as race, identity, and representation. My personal positionality reflects my understanding of theatre industries and educational practices, but it does not mean that others must share the same difficulties and reflections as I do. The intervention I designed is based on my personal experience and aims to advocate for the equal representation of theatre practitioners from different racial backgrounds. However, as participation in the self-shot video campaign is voluntary, it would initially circulate within my own network, which consists mostly of East Asian theatre practitioners in the UK. This could potentially reduce the accessibility for students from other racial groups, such as Black or South Asian theatre practitioners, who also face underrepresentation and struggle in the UK. To address this problem of unequal accessibility, it is important for me to disseminate the call for submissions within inclusive theatre communities, especially those featuring global scholars and practitioners, such as the International Federation of Theatre Research and the Global Performing Arts Practices Community.

It is also important to recognize different types of intersectionality within the interdisciplinary background of my teaching practice. While white students may benefit from more effective language skills and a better understanding of British higher education culture, they too face other types of intersectional discrimination. For instance, gender discrimination in the theatre industry is significant. Male students are far fewer than female students at both UG and PGT levels. Research also shows that theatre is less likely to be valued by higher social class families due to the low economic return and employability of the theatre industry. Additionally, while females make up the largest population of practitioners at lower employment levels, males still dominate leadership positions. Most leaders of theatre organizations in the UK are men.

Reflection on Impact on Inclusive Teaching

While my background provides a foundation for this work, it also comes with inherent biases and limitations. As someone invested in promoting equity, I acknowledge the need to consistently reflect on my assumptions and engage with diverse perspectives to ensure my teaching remains inclusive and relevant. My position as a facilitator of learning places me in a role that requires balancing authority with openness, ensuring that the voices of students and practitioners are centred in the educational process.

The development of this intervention has been informed by feedback from peers, colleagues, and students. Initial consultations with faculty highlighted the importance of ensuring that the videos are both authentic and pedagogically effective. Colleagues emphasized the need for clear content guidelines and a robust review process to maintain the integrity of the narratives while fostering respectful dialogue. Student feedback was particularly insightful, underscoring the demand for resources that reflect their lived realities. Many students expressed a desire for role models within the theatre industry who share their cultural backgrounds and experiences. This input shaped the focus on recruiting practitioners from diverse racial and ethnic groups and ensuring that their stories resonate with the challenges and aspirations of the student body.

However, from feedback provided by my colleagues, I am now aware of my oversight regarding the inclusion of disability as another intersectional aspect for theatre practitioners. Theatre and performing arts have historically shown very limited inclusivity of disabled people, as performing arts are often deemed unsuitable for them due to the structural bias that views disabled people as having restrictions on their bodies on stage. However, this should not be the case, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed to achieve more equal and inclusive contexts.

Although the intervention has yet to be fully implemented, preliminary discussions have revealed its potential to enhance inclusive teaching and learning. By providing students with relatable, culturally relevant resources, the project fosters a sense of belonging and encourages critical engagement with issues of race and identity. If successful, the intervention could serve as a model for other disciplines seeking to integrate diversity and inclusivity into their curricula.

Reference

Bayeck, R.Y. (2022) ‘Positionality: The Interplay of Space, Context and Identity.’ Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, pp. 1–9.

Burke, P.J. and McManus, J. (2011) ‘Art for a few: exclusions and misrecognitions in higher education admissions practices.’ Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 32(5), pp. 699–712.

Thorpe, A. (2009) ‘The long and the short of it: negotiating the right space for Asian theatre in the university drama curriculum.’ Studies in Theatre and Performance, 29(2), pp. 133–147.

Thorpe, A. (2018) ‘The arts Britain utterly ignored: Or, arts council revenue funding and state intervention in British East Asian theatre in the late 1990s and early 2000s.’ In Contesting British Chinese Culture, pp. 195–222.