Abstract:

The paper explores and discusses the potential of using inter-active theater as a research method, based on the experience collected by researchers working with theater workshops. The use of theater workshops is studied as part of a large interdisciplinary research program CLIPS (Collaborative innovation in the public sector).

Research-based drama/theatre refers to a drama or theatre that is based in research. This may take the form of:
i. A drama/theatre based on research conducted previously in order to write the script;
ii. A drama/theatre developing as part of research;
iii. A drama/theatre scripted to act as action/transformative or intervention research (Maria Xenitidou and Nigel Gilbert, Innovations in social science research methods. ESRC Centre for Research Methods, University of Surrey, 2009, page 63).

The kind of theater workshop described here is a mixture of the mentioned forms. The workshops was primarily used as an explorative approach to discussing with participants from different interest groups , politicians, professionals and representatives from different levels of government – municipal, region, national boards. The theater workshops were videotaped, and the researchers subsequently reviewed and transcribed discussions.

In interactive theater, participants are encouraged to enter the stage, but professional actors stage the themes and stay in character while improvising. The “script” is based on themes investigated by researchers before the theater work shop takes place. Professional actors then enact critical situations and participants are invited to participate in order to resolve conflicts and generate new ideas. Participants are to be inspired by each other’s inputs and proposals. Consequently fiction then operates as an invitation to a dialog which gives the participants the possibility to transform the foundation of the driving forces behind the innovation.

This set-up means that the researchers participate actively in the creation of data and becomes very dependent on the artist and the theaters performance. Herby researchers were exploring new methods and technique, which were hard to control from the researcher’s point of view.

Consequently it is relevant to study what kinds of data are generated in this process and how they inform the researchers. Are these data considered to be reliable and how did the researchers use these data?

Data-collection and methods:
Open questionnaires’ based on 18 researchers from different research domains participating in the same research program (CLIPS) when studying collaborative driven innovation processes within the public sector.

Findings:
It is considered to be demanding and time consuming. Translation gabs between exposed “scripts” and “actual” scrip’s are observed. It opens new possibilities to explore power games and conflicts within innovation processes, and raise ethical questions.

Keywords:

Theater workshop, interactive theater, new reseach methods, innovation study.