Generating ethics and social justice in applied theatre curricula

Abstract

Ethics are a set of principles and guidelines to help individuals make choices in order to avoid doing harm while working with others. Most professions have developed codes of ethics for their practitioners to follow in relation to their clients; however, a code of ethics for applied theatre has not yet been agreed upon by the field at large. This chapter presents a potential code of ethics for applied theatre based on the following factors: Boundaries, Competence, Participants' Rights, Research, and Justice and Advocacy. Having a code of ethics is not enough, unless practitioners know how to use it. A strong understanding of ethical guidelines strengthens future practitioners' abilities to reflect on their work, provides clear ground rules and boundaries to follow in complex and volatile situations, and brings a clear-eyed responsibility to practice. Students of applied theatre need to leave school as effective, skilled, ethical practitioners in order to grow the field responsibly. A designated course in applied theatre ethics is the only way to assure that ethics get covered in enough depth to be fully understood; a piecemeal, class-by-class approach will be incomplete. The second half of this chapter provides examples of how to teach ethical concepts through embodied exercises and how to practice dealing with ethical dilemmas through the models of applied theatre.