Performing for Healing Or Healing for Performance - Mapping the seemingly competing intersectionality of healing practices and community development involving the arts with performance outcomes in relation to the rigours of theatre performance

Cultural development at STARTTS -NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, has been involved in various cultural initiatives to include dance, music and theatre practice with emerging... [ view full abstract ]

Cultural development at STARTTS -NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, has been involved in various cultural initiatives to include dance, music and theatre practice with emerging refugee communities in Australia for the last four years funded by the Australia Council for the Arts. The assorted team of counsellors, psychologists and professional artists, mainstream venues, Centre for Refugee Research at University of New South Wales and community development officers have worked with refugee youth and community participants to develop work intra and inter arts and cultural practices. Firstly the paper will analyse and map the healing processes employed by the project. Secondly it will analyse the works in relation to the development of cultural capital within various communities with support offered by STARTTS and then look at how this was transformed for public performance with its own set of rigours. Finally the paper will dissect the perceived dichotomy of the above mentioned methodology employed by the project and highlight curatorial, directorial, marketing and community arts development processes undertaken to bridge this gap. The process and outcome of a theatre based show with its expectations of time, technical requirements, finance and artistry will be juxtaposed with the need of the community and healing needs. Utilising video documentation, theory, practice and evaluation, the paper will assert that the harmonious elements of the methodology are more robust than the divergent aspects initially purported.