Executive Summary

This project has two parts. Phase 1 aims to produce a performed reading of an ethnodrama devised from completed research and development work on the topic of ethical, professional and personal dilemmas and choices of end of life care. This performed reading with professional actors and actor puppeteers will be utilising a finalised script prepared by Mike Kenny (with co-funding from Open-space Learning in Real World Contexts) and a life size puppet. Phase 2 will be the preparation of digital resources with facilitation notes for use in a number of teaching modules for students studying social work, medicine, and nursing.

The rehearsed reading performance, which will form the centrepiece of a one-day conference/seminar on Applied Drama at the Institute of Health, will be followed by a facilitated discussion with a panel of researchers, health and social care professionals and theatre makers. The performance and discussion will also be filmed so that there is the potential (with further funding)) to develop digital teaching resources which would make it available for use by other health and social care students and professionals. The performance will also be planned to include medical students as part of their clinical ethics training.

This performance will enable medical and social work students to explore end of life issues that are both professional and personal either by attending the Phase 1 rehearsed reading or through accessing the Phase 2 digital material as part of courses such as Human Lifespan, Learning from Lives, Health Psychology, Clinical Ethics and Inter-professional Learning Pathways. The research findings will be distributed so that the students understand that the ethno-drama is based on rigorous research with bereaved relatives and health care professionals. The students will be able to cognitively and emotionally engage with the topic and have the opportunity to explore issues further through the inter-professional and interdisciplinary panel discussion that will follow the performance or be available through class room or web based discussion.

The performed reading would take place within a seminar/conference of the Applied Performance Group at the Institute Health. The location of the performed reading would be in the Rehearsal Space at the Arts Centre twice in one day – afternoon and evening – and would reach 100 - 150 medical and social work students Which stakeholders will you involve?

This would involve academics from Warwick Medical School and the School of Health Social Studies interested in new teaching methodologies, as well as other staff from across the social sciences interested in the potential of ethno-drama. It would also involve practitioners who took part in the development work for Passing On or were part of the original research study from which it was derived. Members of the Applied Performance Group include theatre practitioners as well as academics and the discussion at the seminar conference would cover both the pedagogy of ethno-drama as well as creative artistic aspects and the challenge of moving from research to dramatic representation. The actors and actor puppeteers will be from the Little Angel Theatre (involved in original development work) and the Creative Producers are the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with the involvement of Steve Ball, Director of Education, Outreach and Community.