Kirjeldamisest lavastamiseni. Loovuurimuslik vaade / From Describing to Staging: A Practice-as-Research Look

Abstract

Teesid: Käesolev artikkel tutvustab TÜ Viljandi kultuuriakadeemias etenduskunstide õppekava lavastaja eriala üliõpilastega läbiviidud loovuurimuslikku projekti, mille eesmärk oli luua ja katsetada erisuguseid kujutlusvõimet käivitavaid ülesandeid. Lähtuti hüpoteesist, et ekfraasi ning hõreda ja tiheda kirjelduse kasutamine tekitab üliõpilastel uusi kompositsioonilisi ideid ja võimaldab neil jõuda oma loomingus uute töövõteteni. Uurimus kinnitas, et teistest uurimuslikest praktikatest pärit meetodite rakendamine etenduskunstide kontekstis on viljakas ning üliõpilased kasutasid kirjeldamist nii lavastusprotsessi ettevalmistamisel kui ka lavastuses endas. Projekti lõppedes võib väita, et õppeprotsessi käigus selgines mudel, mis on potentsiaalselt universaalne, korratav ja kasutatav.

The article  presents an overview of a practice-as-research project carried out with the directing students of the University of Tartu’s Viljandi Culture Academy. The aim of the project was to apply and analyse creative practices that are based on ekphrastic and thin and thick description to find out whether and how these kinds of practices activate the imagination of the students in creating their own personal performances.

Viljandi Culture Academy is currently restructuring its study curriculum for directing students. The focus point will be on the students’ own author-positions and de-hierarchisation of theatrical signs, meaning that the postdramatic theatre approach is more included in the study programme.

The research project was carried out with the second-year directing students. The undergraduates participated in the following activities: 1) describing different environments; 2) practising thin description, thick description and ekphrasis; 3) activating imagination through descriptive practices; 4) getting acquainted with different works by various video artists; 5) montage. All these exercises were meant to support the creation process of an individual performance, the outcome of the course.

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with five directing students at the end of the course. One aim of the interviews was enabling the students to reflect how and whether they had used description-based exercises in preparing their individual performances. The interviews were coded and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

The results enable us to conclude that thin and thick description and ekphrasis activated students’ imagination on different levels. The exercises were used for activating imagination as well as supporting the composition process of directing, while two students out of five also used these techniques  in their own performances, not only during the rehearsal process. In addition, using descriptive practices directed the students’ attention to different elements in the environment and thus raised the understanding of the concept of de-hierarchization of theatrical signs.

Describing more dynamic and unfamiliar environments quickens the activation of creativity. However, describing as an exercise should be used repeatedly, and theoretical concepts (thin and thick description and ekphrasis) should be explained more thoroughly to students. Even though using descriptive practices for preparing the individual performances was optional, all of the students used them.

Both the learning process and then the research proved that description is useful in activating imagination as well supporting the understanding of composing practices. Description as a creative practice should be used repeatedly in order to turn it into a habit. It raises one’s awareness of the surrounding environments and enables the student to notice how he or she uses his or her different senses. Being able to describe—therefore express verbally both auditory and visual elements present in the environment—is a very relevant skill for directors.

The research shows that using ekphrasis and thin and thick description—methods used in other fields—is a fruitful practice and the description based exercises are later useful in their professional career as directors.

We argue that we developed a model that is potentially universal, repeatable and useful and the authors recommend using it in teaching some other art studies. It is also recommended to use the model again in a similar learning process.