IDEA's forthcoming journal

The IDEA Journal represents the spirit and philosophy of IDEA, a journal dedicated to:

the role of drama and theatre in establishing personal and cultural identity and in providing a space for dialogue.
addressing through drama and theatre the cultural, artistic and educational needs of communities, especially children and young people, in a contemporary world containing many forms of disenfranchisement and threat.

The IDEA journal can be found at: http://www.griffith.edu.au/arts-languages-criminology/centre-public-culture-ideas/research/applied-theatre/publications/issues

Education is perceived in the broadest sense. Live dramatic activities and theatrical performance will form the main focus of the Journal.


The IDEA Journal’s Characteristics

The IDEA Journal will be characterised as follows:

The Journal will appear at least annually if possible.
Although the principal language will be English, as the lingua franca of most IDEA members, the journal will also include articles in the other two official IDEA languages, French and Spanish, and abstracts in all three languages.
It will incorporate work from all over the world.
Its focus will be the use of theatre and drama in education and cultural development - lifelong learning as very broadly defined.
It will be refereed, but not solely scholastically - there will be two components of the panel of review, which will assess material for the quality of the praxis, as well as its scholarly and critical content.
It will encourage articles that are contextualised, that are grounded in coherent and imaginative theory, and that also reflect or are illustrative of excellent practice.
A range of forms will be encouraged, that can make the drama and theatre work accessible and best illustrate it to the readers - script, performance poetry, transcript, graphical material, for example, will be acceptable, alongside descriptive, discursive and analytical prose.
It is grounded in the understanding that all participants in theatrical and dramatic events are seen as fully participant, and will incorporate points of view of theatre workers (actors, directors, playwrights), spectators and educators.
initiatives and exciting work in the field from all five continents will be highlighted as a regular feature.
Considerable editorial assistance will be given to those for whose work is worthy of inclusion, but for whom the language of the article is not their first, or for whom the written word is not their forte.
Following each Congress one edition of the Journal will be mainly or entirely devoted to papers and presentations from that Congress, selected in association with the Congress Director of Publications.


Content

The content will be in the areas of the philosophy and practice of:

Drama and theatre in education in schools, colleges and educational institutions.
Theatre for Development (in developing countries and communities).
Community theatre and community performance arts.
Drama and theatre in training contexts.
Performance work- in multiple and cross-art forms – including visual arts, music, storytelling, film and television, computer-generated graphic and narrative forms etc.
Performative events in community and public life.
Drama and theatre as a means of learning in a range of educational contexts.
Socio-cultural implications - inter-cultural and cross-cultural drama and theatre forms.
The political and ideological implications of theatre and drama.
Other implications of drama and theatre in educational contexts, eg. spiritual, metaphysical, therapeutic, playful.


Contributors

The authors will be drama workers and scholars worldwide in these fields, drawn from the member associations of IDEA and other interested individuals and groups. Many of these will be the most eminent workers and scholars in the field, but cutting-edge contemporary and experimental work from new or little-known practitioners will also be encouraged. Papers and other contributions will be reviewed by a panel of referees, representing distinguished practitioners in the above fields as well as formal researchers.

The journal will not be solely, or even primarily, a traditional research journal – the main focus will be identifying and critically reflecting upon examples of drama and theatre activity, processes, performances and projects from all round the world. The journal will have a global focus and representation - there will be an explicit policy of ensuring that the best and most exciting work in all continents and as many countries as possible is represented and featured. There will also be an explicit policy of making the articles stylistically accessible and readable to the range of readership.


Audience

The primary audience will be members of the Association, namely members of the affiliated national associations and individual members. Overall this is a primary audience numbered in thousands. In addition, the journal will be attractive to practitioners and scholars of drama, theatre and allied arts, as well as to tertiary libraries, educationists, teachers, social workers and community leaders with an awareness of the significance of the arts in education, and an interest in innovative and holistic approaches to learning and community development.


Review and assessment

A Review Sub-committee will be set up, to review critically manuscripts and other submitted material, and make recommendations on their suitability for publication. All papers and other materials intended for the Journal will have been critically reviewed by two reviewers. The honorary Review Sub-committee will consist of eminent drama/theatre and education workers and scholars world-wide, and represent the three IDEA languages. Some members will be chosen for their scholarship, some for their practical and artistic expertise, with some able to offer a range of both practical and theoretical insights.


Competition

There is no equivalent for this journal, as may be seen from the characteristics described below. Its emphases on:

drama and theatre education worldwide.
lifelong education, including adults and communities.
informal and accidental educational contexts as well as formal institutions of learning.
describing, profiling and critically reflecting on the most contemporary, innovative and distinguished practice in the field, guaranteed by the fact of IDEA’s standing as the major international affiliation in the field.
encouraging a range of presentational forms - within the constraints of a printed journal - combine to make the Journal unique.

There are numerous journals of drama and theatre, and a smaller number that specialise in educational manifestations. Of these, there are a handful with an international focus and readership, including some by IDEA member associations. Some of these predominantly or exclusively focus on research and scholarship, and particularly on young people. Some of IDEA’s member associations also produce their own journals and magazines with a more regional or local purpose - they speak most directly to their national readership and concentrate on local issues and activities. Where praxis is central, the focus is usually on providing practical ideas and resources, especially tips for classroom teachers within that local drama community.

The IDEA Journal has been conceptualised very much with these factors in mind. Discussions have been held with the editors of some of the key journals above (Research in Drama Education; present and past editors of the NJ; and Drama, to this point), to help to develop this unique profile that will complement, not duplicate the work of these journals. It is part of IDEA’s publication policy to help develop an international network with other major publications, of complementarity and support rather than competition. The above editors are all in agreement with this, at least in principle.