Call for Proposals: edited book on actor training, voice, movement, education and learning differences /disabilities.

Type of post: Association news item
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: Glen McGillivray
Status: Current
Date Posted: Mon, 14 Oct 2019
Editor: Dr Petronilla Whitfield, Associate Professor, Arts University Bournemouth UK)


Call outline

This is a call for expressions of interest and proposals for chapter contributors in an edited book on actor training, voice, movement, education and learning differences /disabilities.

Following the recent publication of my book ‘Teaching Strategies for Neurodiversity and Dyslexia in Actor Training’ (Routledge 2019), I am now seeking ideas for potential chapters from teachers/ practitioners/authors regarding the development of their teaching in the support of Acting and Performance students/individuals with Specific Learning Differences/Disabilities.  In particular, dissemination of practice is sought where the teaching directions are underpinned by research, theory, and scholarly investigation. It is important that Specific Learning Differences/Disabilities are not generalised, but detailed with specificity of their characteristics.  Early researchers in this field are also invited to submit a proposal, as they are potentially important contributors to emerging pedagogical discussions and approaches.

Themes could include, (but are not limited to):  
  • Descriptions of teaching interventions, rationale, process and outcomes, where teachers have recognised a problem or challenge and have carried out research, trials and transformation of their practice to  support the neurodiverse, SpLD student’s/individual’s needs. (Descriptions of perceived failures are as valuable as successes).
  • Critical analysis of  pedagogy in actor training environments, historical and cultural contexts of actor training, and how Specific Learning  Differences and neurodiversity is situated within that context
  • An in-depth analysis of the arts-based discipline involved,  and how the learning difference/style/disability  can impact on embedded or adapted  practice in that discipline  
  • The ethical and political concerns regarding  the labelling of an individual with a SpLD, and how this might influence your practice/approach
  • The foregrounding of the student voice and experience  of those with SpLD, platforming  student-led methods, autonomy,  research and student- led  teaching practices
  • If you  are  a teacher with SpLD, (such as being dyslexic for example) , how  that might inform/affect your teaching and your understanding for the individual student with learning challenges
  • Development of inclusive assessment strategies, that do not unfairly disadvantage  those with SpLD/neurodiversity and differing modes of learning
  • The  experience of Learning Support teachers/staff who have been involved in the teaching of acting performance students with SpLD and are researching and developing new practices in their field
  • The experiences of coaches/teachers working with  professional actors with SpLD and a dissemination of developing methods and reflection on endeavours to support those actors

Submitting a proposal

 
Preliminary conversations with potential contributors will help to develop the contents of the book, to submit to the publisher for review. To signal your interest in making a contribution please contact Petronilla Whitfield for an initial exchange of ideas/thoughts, or email a proposal of 500-  1, 000 words in length.


Firm proposals must be received no later than the 30th November 2019 and sent, with a brief author biography, to the book’s editor, Dr Petronilla Whitfield (pwhitfield@aub.ac.uk)