Planned Chaos: Chronicles of Research in Theatre for Development

If all the world is a stage, then Theatre for Development is about dealing with some of the most troubling moments of that world.  Beyond the production of dramatic performance for audiences, the methods of role playing, acting, and diving into the perspective of others is an incredibly powerful tool to explore peace and reconciliation, trauma, and psychology.  On the front line of this research is Ph.D. Candidate Telisa Courtney from the University of Alberta.  Telisa join's GDP to discuss the ins and outs of theatre for development, and to offer straight up advice for graduate students seeking to do research abroad. 

Telisa is a 2nd year Political Science PhD student at the University of Alberta. They hold a Master of Arts degree in International Development Studies from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta with a double major in Political Science and Psychology. Their research focuses on applied theatre as a mechanism for community building, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution in East Africa. In their personal life, they are a music teacher, yoga practitioner, cross-country runner, and cat mom.

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