This book draws together a cross-section of practice-led research projects in the field of theatre and performance studies from universities across Australia over the last ten years. With a specific focus on methodology Live Research maps out nine distinct narratives of practice. It provides invaluable insight into the distinctive challenges of practice-led research, offering a unique snapshot into artist-scholars working at the vanguard of this burgeoning field. The authors published in this volume each write from their experiences as doctoral candidates, making this an essential companion for all higher degree students, supervisors and examiners. This book will also appeal to theatre and performing artists, and anyone interested in how artists research and create work.

Following the foreword by Professor Brad Haseman, a leading proponent of practice-led research, the book opens with an essay by Leah Mercer and Julie Robson synthesising the characteristics common to each of the contributors’ experiences. Nine essays from artist-scholars then narrate diverse stories of practice-led research and the methodologies that shaped, sharpened and structured their doctoral projects. The final essay from Siobhan Murphy offers an incisive discussion on the nature of PhD writing, its relationship to performance-making and the differences between a thesis and an exegesis.

Contributors

Margaret Cameron, Angela Campbell, Catherine Fargher, David Fenton, Brad Haseman, Barry Laing, Leah Mercer, Siobhan Murphy, Julie Robson, Helen Sharp.

Editors

Leah Mercer, Julie Robson and David Fenton

Published in 2011 by Ladyfinger Press.