Devising Theatre in Times of Crisis : Practices for a Post-Pandemic World

This book explores the intersection of collective practice-making and the promotion of subjective well-being during global crises. Drawing from experiences across five continents during the COVID-19 pandemic, eight theatre professors present novel approaches to ethical creative practice through intercultural dialogue and arts-based research.

Devising Theatre in Times of Crisis: Practices for a Post-Pandemic World explores the intersection of collective applied theatre practice and the promotion of subjective well-being during periods of global crisis. Drawing from the collaborative experiences of eight theatre professors across five continents during the COVID-19 pandemic, this book presents innovative approaches to ethical creative practice through intercultural dialogue and arts-based research. The authors share their experiences from Turkey, Singapore, Taiwan, Uganda, Australia, and the United States, highlighting their use of Shaun Tan's illustrated book The Red Tree as inspiration for collaborative work. This shared frame allowed them and their students to interrogate pandemic experiences while fostering connection and prioritising participant well-being. Shifting the focus away from the finished productions, the book emphasises the creative process itself, demonstrating how it can be transformed to support mental health, encourage intercultural exchange, and model sustainable practice grounded in an ethic of care. This timely resource provides practical strategies alongside a robust pedagogical foundation for creating meaningful work during challenging circumstances, offering valuable lessons for navigating future crises beyond the pandemic through art that nurtures both creators and audiences. This book is essential reading for theatre practitioners, directors, educators, students, and researchers interested in devised performance, applied theatre, and arts-based wellbeing.