To be or not to be: The outcomes of research into the policy and practice of widening participation in drama

Open University Widening Participation Conference 2012:
Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education
(‘Inclusive policy and practice’ theme)

TO BE OR NOT TO BE:
THE OUTCOMES OF RESEARCH INTO
THE POLICY AND PRACTICE OF
WIDENING PARTICIPATION IN DRAMA

Richard Harrison
School and Community Liaison Officer

Aims of the session

- Provide a context for the research: institutional,
governmental and theoretical.

- Provide an overview of WP activity at Central

- Describe Central’s Career Pathways Mapping
Project

- Present findings and recommendations from the
Career Pathways Mapping Project

- Consider further research opportunities

Outline
- Contexts for the research: researcher;
institutional; policy; theory

- Research aims and questions

- Operation of the research

- Research findings and recommendations

- Further research

- Concluding remarks

Autobiography of the researcher

- Currently School and Community Liaison Officer at CSSD

- Formerly Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions
Officer at The University of Warwick

- Worked in theatre marketing/audience development at
Birmingham Repertory Theatre

- Also youth theatre: Warwick Arts Centre and Allesley
Children’s Theatre

- BA (Hons) English and Theatre Studies, MA Arts Policy
and Management and MA Advanced Educational Practice

- Prior to that, A Level Theatre Studies and BTEC
Performing Arts

- School governor

The same but different…

- ‘Widening participation’ in higher education
and the arts:

- in HE it is called ‘widening
participation’; in the arts it is called
‘audience development’ and
‘community engagement’.

- The aims, though, are similar: to broaden
access to HE/the arts.

Institutional context (1)
- Central has a history of engaging with a diverse range
of groups.

- Central engages in a range of activities to promote
widening participation to HE and to drama in particular.

Institutional context (2)
- Driver for this project is the commitment made in
Central’s access agreement.

…development of a model for mapping the pathways taken by school students into
the study of drama and theatre in higher education, enabling measurement of
success of outreach activities in attracting applicants to HE and to the School…
(Section 1.1)

The School would aim to establish its mapping model over five years and then
present the findings to other institutions and agencies in the sector. A key aim would
be to identify which activities are most effective in attracting under-represented
groups in HE in order to target funding more effectively and to invest in the most
effective strategies. (Section 7.5.2)

- This has been a longitudinal research project,
which has utilised both quantitative and qualitative
data.

Key areas of focus for access at Central
- Age

- BAME (as %age of declarations)

- Disability

- Gender

- Socio-economic status
- NS SEC 4, 5, 6, 7 (location adjusted)
- POLAR2
- Students from state schools and colleges (location adjusted)

Why does Central engage in this activity?

- Broaden access to Central, and the subject area of
drama in general.

- Institutional belief in the importance of access and widening
participation.

- Helps us access potential students who may not otherwise
engage with Central.

- Desire to develop a diverse student – and staff – base
that contributes to Central being an exciting place to
study and work.

- There is an expectation on publicly-funded organisations
(whether HE or the arts) that they will make themselves
as accessible as possible to the communities they serve.

Why drama? (1)

‘Drama is a collaborative group artform where people transform,
act, and reflect upon the human condition. In drama, people are
the instruments of inquiry.’ (Taylor, 2002, 1)

‘Drama … invites its students to learn about themselves, each
other and the world in which they are living; it is an ‘exploratory
medium’ (Hornbrook, 1991, 19). It asks students to respond to that
world, and to challenge it, not to accept the status quo but to be
agents for change. It draws from deep inside the learner to
encourage the most passionate response… It reduces all learners
to their base selves: humans engaged in a dialogue with, between
and beyond themselves, and encourages appreciation of an
individual’s differences. Drama ‘relies on social interaction and
collaborative practices’ (Kempe and Nicholson, 2007, 92).’
R. Harrison. ‘Homotopia? Recognising and understanding: how are young gay male
subjectivities constituted in the school drama studio, and what are the implications of
these constitutions and identifications for participation in learning?’ [Unpublished MA
assignment] London, 2010.

Why drama? (2)

- Despite its dialogic approach, drama can be viewed as
operating within an elitist arena; Central has an expectation
that its applicants are conversant with live theatre, despite
the physical and psychological barriers to participation
experienced by some young people.

- ‘While lack of time and cost are frequently cited barriers…
research finds that psychological barriers are more
important overall than practical concerns… Caught up with
this are questions of intellectual nervousness and lack of
cultural self-confidence… Many people report feeling that
the arts are ‘not for people like me’ and are concerned about not
fitting in or being looked down on in some way.’ (Creative
Research, 2007, cited in Bunting, 2010, p.27, quoted in
Harrison, 2011)

Why drama? (3)

- ‘‘Process drama’ therefore offers young people a chance to
learn ‘through drama’ (Murphy in Downes et al, 2007,
p.309) and has the potential to transmit knowledge and power to
the ‘oppressed’, disrupting notions of ‘reproduction’ and
hegemony.’ (Harrison, 2011)

Widening participation: a policy context: social justice…

“Widening participation addresses the large discrepancies in the
take-up of higher education opportunities between different social
groups. Under-representation is closely connected with broader
issues of equity and social inclusion, so we are concerned with
ensuring equality of opportunity for disabled students, mature
students, women and men, and all ethnic groups.

“We work with higher education institutions and other
organisations to raise aspirations and educational attainment
among people from under-represented communities to prepare
them for higher education, ensure success on their programme of
study, improve their employment prospects and open possibilities
for postgraduate study, and give them opportunities to return to
learning throughout their lives.”

HEFCE, ‘Widening Participation’ [Online}. Available from
<http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/>. 29 March 2012.
[Accessed 4 April 2012].

Widening participation: a policy context: …versus economic
imperative

“Britain can only succeed in a rapidly changing world if we develop the
skills of our people to the fullest possible extent … to create an
innovative and competitive economy.”

John Denham,
Former Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills,
at the Action on Access conference in December 2007

Policy drivers for WP activity in 2006

- Government aim to achieve up to 50%
of 18-30 year olds having an
experience of higher education.

- Institutional desire to broaden and
diversify student population.

- Impact on learning environment for
students and staff.

- Positive effect of more diverse student
- and staff - populations.

Policy drivers: the Government’s perspective in
2006

- New Labour imperative (born in c.1999),
though not a New Labour invention.

- Open University, P/T degrees, open studies
have existed for a number of years.

- Office for Fair Access (OFFA) inaugurated in
2004 following The Higher Education Act 2004,
with powers increasing following
implementation of increased fees

- Funding linked to WP and achieving targets
set by HEFCE/OFFA/DBIS

Policy drivers for WP activity in 2012: a mixed
picture?

- Greater focus on notion of ‘fair access’
as opposed to ‘widening participation’.

- Social mobility a key driver, but what form does
that mobility take, and for whom?

- Abolition of Aimhigher and other networks.

- Increased role for OFFA following student
funding changes.

- Appointment of Prof Les Ebdon as Director of
Fair Access to Higher Education.

WP: the academic discourse

“…There is a growing concern to increase, and
diversify, the numbers of students in higher
education… These drives to widen participation are
motivated by a number of factors, including economic,
institutional and social justice concerns… To achieve
this target of widened (not merely increased)
participation, new students will need to be recruited
from previously under-represented groups.”

L Archer, M Hutchings, and A Ross. Higher Education and Social
Class: Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion. London:
RoutledgeFalmer, 2003


“Currently, almost all young people from middle-class
and professional families go on to university.
Participation among young people from working-class
groups are a key target of initiatives aimed at
widening participation in post-compulsory education.”

L Archer, M Hutchings, and A Ross. Higher Education and Social
Class: Issues of Exclusion and Inclusion. London:
RoutledgeFalmer, 2003


“Widening participation policy and practice must move
away from deficit discourses and perspectives that
hide the complex power relations tied to certain
values to developing policies and practices that begin
to challenge deeply embedded inequalities and
exclusion in higher education.”

P.J. Burke. ‘Fair access? Exploring gender, access and
participation beyond entry to higher education’ in Leathwood C.
and Francis, B. (Eds) Gender and Lifelong Learning: Critical
Feminist Engagements. Abingdon: Routledge, 2006

WP: the implications of WP/outreach
AGAINST FOR
Lowering standards Equality of opportunity for the individual
Costly for Universities and society Limits social exclusion and the associated
(interventions, extra support etc.) problems (Social mobility)
WP students more likely to drop out Employment / economic benefits
(Good for individual, good for society)
Mass HE lowers the market value of a Avoiding ‘waste of natural resources’
degree (less delineation between (not missing out on talent)
individuals)
Social engineering that disadvantages Better relations between staff and student
Independent School students
Devalues non-University education/career Greater diversity = healthier learning
paths environment

Source: Lewis, K. ‘Widening Participation: Philosophy, policy and practice’.
Conference Proceedings, ‘AUA London Region Conference’, Birkbeck, University of London, 12.11.08.

WP: the current context
“Universities serve both as gatekeepers for established orders of
inequality, and as transformative institutions that enable social
justice through inter-generational changes in circumstance.
Because of this ambiguity, the currently prevalent metaphor of the
competitive marketplace is both wrong and ultimately self-
defeating. The model of the market first renders a higher
education qualification as a positional good, and then devalues the
currency. Reasserting the transformational role of higher
education through universities’ role in building the capabilities of a
person to lead the life that they value both re-establishes the core
qualities of education and provides for visionary public policy.”
M. Hall, Inequality and higher education: marketplace or social
justice? Stimulus paper. Leadership Foundation for Higher
Education, London, 2012.

WP outreach: the practice

“There is now mounting evidence that targeted
outreach which boosts achievement and
aspirations among disadvantaged young people
at a much earlier stage is a more effective way
of widening access…”

M. Harris, ‘Targeted outreach is the key to widening access at
highly selective universities’ [Press release]. Available from <http://
www.offa.org.uk/press-releases/targeted-outreach-is-the-key-to-
widening-access-at-highly-selective-universities-says-offa/> Office
for Fair Access, Bristol, 2010.

The broader educational context (1)

English Baccalaureate versus…

“Apart from the intrinsic worth of including art and music in the
statutory curriculum from 5 to 16 because of the importance of
pupils acquiring knowledge of their cultural heritage(s), there is
now substantial evidence that a good art and music education
benefits individuals, their communities and the nation as a whole in
other ways…”

“In other words, the arts subjects in the curriculum have the
potential to meet aims and purposes in all of the domains
mentioned in Chapter 2 (i.e. economic, cultural, social and
personal). We therefore recommend that education in art and
music should be supported in Key Stage 4 through statutory
requirement (separately or in combination), i.e. as part of the Basic
Curriculum, as broad responsibilities; content should be
determined by the school.”
T. Oates, M. James, A. Pollard and D William. The Framework for the National Curriculum: A report
by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review. Department for Education, London, 2011.


“Recommendation 1: Broad Cultural Education for all children

There should be a minimum level of Cultural Education that a child
should expect to receive during his or her schooling as a whole.
For children to leave full-time education without having engaged in
the spectrum of Cultural Education outlined below would be a
failure of a system which sets out to create young people who are
not only academically able, but also have a fully-rounded
appreciation of the world around them.” (p.23)

D. Henley. Cultural Education in England: An independent review by Darren
Henley for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for
Education. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, London, 2012.


“As part of our mission, 'Achieving great art for everyone', we have
a goal to make sure that every child and young person has the
opportunity to experience the richness of the arts and culture.

To help us achieve this we will fund a network of 10 'bridge'
organisations… that will use their experience and expertise to
connect children and young people, schools and communities with
art and culture.”

Arts Council England. (2012) ‘Bridge organisations’. [Online]. Available from
<http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/our-priorities-2011-15/children-and-
young-people/bridge-organisations/>/. [Accessed 4 April 2012].

An additional theoretical context

‘The theoretical underpinning for this investigation draws on the
writings of Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault; Bourdieu argued
that ‘capitals’ circulate in society, and accumulate in the middle-
classes, and that these ‘capitals’ buy privilege in education and
work. Foucault wrote that power also circulates in society, and that
power can result from the possession of knowledge. Access to
power is restricted, though if it is shared can support a more equal
society, just as the acquisition of Bourdieurian capital can too lead
to social mobility. Thus, the role that theatres can play in
supporting the acquisition of capital and power is discussed, to
understand the sociological reason for engagement practice, and
its link to the social inclusion drivers of recent participatory activity.’

R. Harrison. Models of Engagement: How Producing Theatres Engage Young
People as Makers and Spectators. [Unpublished MA dissertation]
London, 2011.

WP activity at Central

• Work of Central Connects: Community Drama Officer
(short courses, NST, Aimhigher, projects), business
development (communication and presentation
training, voice classes), Saturday Classes, Summer
Schools (funded and private).

• Other outreach at Central: placements, public
productions, research seminars and lectures,
consultancy work, external lettings, UG/PG
programmes.

• Bursary and scholarship support.

The role of the SCLO

• Governed by OFFA and our access agreements.

• Two areas of activity at Central: workshops and research.
Innovative in drama subject area.

• ‘Higher Education Audition/Interview Workshops’

• ‘Career Pathways Mapping Project’

• Audition Vouchers Scheme

• Also a member of the Equality and Diversity Committee,
author of safeguarding policy, Access HE, Aimhigher, Meteor
project

A response:

Career Pathways
Mapping Project

Research aim

- To develop a model for mapping
career pathways into the study of drama/
theatre in higher education.

Research questions

- What experiences are available to young people who show
an interest in drama/theatre during their secondary
schooling?

- What drama/theatre-related opportunities are open to
young people in London?

- What advice is, or is not, available to young people
interested in progressing within drama/theatre?

- How are young people’s aspirations in drama explored and
met?

- How effective are participatory widening
participation interventions in encouraging young people to
consider study and work pathways in drama?

Stages of the research project

- The research project has been conducted over
five academic years, and comprised three main
stages:

- Pre-pilot stage (2006-2007) during which
sampling was explored, and
methodologies established.
- Pilot stage (2007-2008) during which
methodologies were tested, and
literature reviewed.
- Study (2008-2011).

- Data collection was concluded in July 2011, and
the final research report will be published in
summer 2012.

Sampling

- Data has been collected from two primary sources:
- students, their teachers, professionals (primary);
- literature/web based (secondary).

- The project involves students from seven London
secondary schools, one sixth form college and one FE
college (both London), and one non-London school.

- Six Year 10/12 students were chosen by their teachers –
with guidance from researcher – to be interviewed in
KS4/KS5 and through their post-16 study into higher education.

- Year 10/11 students attending Central’s HEFCE-funded
summer schools (since 2007) have also been tracked.

- Existing literature and web resources are being used to
compile information about the opportunities available to students
wanting to pursue an interest in drama.

Research sites

Inner Outer Non- Co-
London London London educationa Girls only Boys only 11-16 11-18 16-19 Specialism
Site A   
Site B   
Site C   
Site D   
Site E   
Site F   
Site G    Arts
Site H   
Site I   
Site J   

Summer
School     

Professionals interviewed

Professor Jonathan Neelands, University of Warwick

Oliver Benjamin, A New Direction

Caroline Bray, Arts Award

Paul Webster, EdExcel

Careers adviser (e-mail response)

AQA (e-mail response)

Methodology

- This is a practitioner-led research project, which
may more accurately be considered a case
study.

- A mixed-method approach – thus enabling the
collection of quantitative and qualitative data – has
been employed, comprising:
- initial questionnaire and interview;
- workshop intervention;
- follow-up questionnaire and interview;
- questionnaire and face-to-face interview
or written answer questions in subsequent
years.

- Statistical data is also being analysed and used.

Data gathering stages

Year 10:
- Initial group interview
- Workshop intervention
- Follow-up interview

Year 11:
- End-of-L2 study interview

Year 12:
- Progress update interview (can be postal
questionnaire)

Year 13:
- End-of-L3 study interview (can be postal
questionnaire)

Year 1 HE:
- E-mail/postal questionnaire to students

Interviews conducted (Year 5: 2010-2011)

Year 10: Initial interview (questionnaire)

Year 10: Initial interview (interview)
1. What are your ideas for what you would like to do after
Year 11? Tell me if they involve studying, working, or both,
and whether your plans involve studying Drama further?

2. How are you going about achieving these ideas?

3. What advice have you been given relating to what you
would like to do after Year 11? This might be in your Drama
lessons, careers sessions, or from another source.

4. Are you involved in drama outside of lessons? If so, tell
me about it.

5. How have your ideas for post-16 ideas developed?

Higher Education Audition/Interview Workshops

Year 10: Follow-up interview (questionnaire)

Year 10: Follow-up interview (interview)
1. Now that you’ve taken part in the workshop, how have your
ideas for what you would like to do after Year 11 changed?
Tell me if they now involve studying, working – or both –
and whether your plans involve studying Drama further.

2. How will you now go about achieving these aims?

3. What extra advice and information do you think you would
you like to help with making choices for after GCSE? This
might be in your Drama lessons, careers sessions, or from
elsewhere.

4. Might you now get involved in drama activities outside of
lessons? If so, tell me about it.

5. How have your ideas for what you might do after Year 13
changed?

Year 11: Follow-up interview (questionnaire)

Year 11: Follow-up interview (interview)
1. Now that you are almost at the end of Year 11, how have
your ideas for what you would like to do next year changed
from last summer? Tell me if they involve studying,
working – or both – and whether your plans involve studying
Drama further.

2. How are you going about achieving these aims?

3. What extra advice and information have you sought during
this year to help with making choices for after Year 11?
This might be in your Drama lessons, careers sessions, or
from elsewhere.

4. Since the workshop, have you become involved in drama
activities outside of your lessons? If so, what activities
have you participated in?

5. How have your ideas for what you might do after Year 13
changed?

Pros/cons of chosen methodology
PROS CONS
Has enabled project to track small number The outcomes cannot be broadly translated
of learners because of case study approach
Allows for detailed understanding of The design is too ambitious
participants
Allows for obtaining of both quantitative It is difficult (impossible!) for a single
and qualitative data researcher to collate, record and transcribe
all of the data
A case study design provides an It is difficult to maintain input from young
opportunity to understand the context of the people as they progress through
institutions and the learners school/college and into HE
It is a low-cost model The design relies on a certain level of
literacy among participants
The methodology is discursive, which is Pressures in schools/colleges can impact
appropriate to subject area on the smooth running of the data
collection cycle!

Limitations of analysis

- The following findings and recommendations are derived from
generalised interpretation of the research data.

- As it has not been possible to transcribe the interviews and
tabulate the questionnaire responses, the findings and
recommendations are based on themes that have been repeatedly
discussed across the interviews.

- The analysis also draws on my outreach practice, and the
conversations held with students and their teachers/advisers
during workshops.

- The theoretical positions established earlier also provide an
impetus to the analysis and interpretation.

Research findings (1)

- Students select to study drama at L2 (GCSE equivalent)
and L3 (A Level equivalent) for a variety of reasons, not always
related to a desire to work in the creative industries. The
instrumental application of drama through the transferrable skills
that are developed in studying the subject are as important as
the artistic skills acquired.

- Preparation for higher education does not start early
enough in schools/colleges. There is a desire from students
for it to begin much earlier in their secondary school careers.

- Careers advice in state-maintained schools and colleges is
woefully inadequate, and where provision is available, advisers
often lack robust knowledge of drama-related pathways.

- Students greatly value opportunities to engage with
creative industries organisations, particularly through work experience
placements and outreach opportunities.

Research findings (2)

- Different curricular/examination courses are better suited
to particular study routes in higher education; information,
advice and guidance needs to be improved to assist students
in making the most adequate choices.

- Programmes such as Arts Award offer students very
valuable opportunities to further independence and leadership
in arts contexts; such opportunities should be encouraged by
schools and colleges, and should be recognised by
HEIs/employers.

- The current policy context, which focuses on success in
EBacc subjects, is marginalising drama study at L2.

- The outcomes of the Henley Review of Cultural Education
provide a valuable opportunity to emphasise the value
(instrumental and artistic) of drama study in schools.

Recommendations (1)

- Central must continue to provide opportunities for young
people to learn more about the School and its application
and audition/interview procedures. This needs to begin from,
ideally, upper primary age, or at least during KS3.

- Central and other HEIs must make explicit their
audition/interview criteria and convey this in suitable language
for the intended audiences.

- Central and other HEIs must maintain a dialogue with
young people to understand the support they need, and the
format that support should take.

- Central should provide recognised support on drama-
related careers pathways in the form of CPD and
information for careers advisers. This recommendation must be
pursued in dialogue with careers professionals.

Recommendations (2)

- Central should work with partners to develop resources
that are freely and widely available to help young people in
investigating drama-related courses and careers. Any such
resources should supplement, not duplicate, existing provision.
This may also include a work experience provision
database.

- Central should support increased access to extra-curricular
opportunities within drama so that young people are able
to pursue interests independently of school/college. This
may be through providing opportunities or information.

- Central should explore how it might link more closely with
Arts Award to emphasise the benefits of participating in
such a programme.

- Central should seek to support the recommendations of
the Henley Review to ensure that drama and other arts
subjects are given appropriate recognition in school curricula.

A model for mapping career pathways? (1)

- This research has demonstrated that there is no single
model for mapping young people’s journeys into studying
drama in higher education, and then into theatre-related careers.

- The variety of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities
in drama mean that young people can access drama in HE
and/or as a career from a variety of starting points.

- One dominant model has, however, appeared: the study of
drama at L2 and L3, which then leads in to studying drama
at university or drama school, before embarking on an arts-
related career. This may or may not be supplemented by
participation in extra-curricular drama opportunities, yet
those who progress into specialised training and
employment are more likely to have participated in extra-curricular
drama activities at some point.

A model for mapping career pathways? (2)

- Bourdieu’s ‘capitals’ theory suggests, though, that those
most able to access extra-curricular opportunities already
possess the social and cultural capital needed to study and
work in drama.

- What this research suggests, therefore, is that greater
access needs to be provided for those from ‘widening
`participation’ backgrounds to access extra-curricular
opportunities to increase their social and cultural capital, and thus
their chance of accessing specialist training and employment.

- Similarly, institutions like Central must review their
practices, policies and expectations to ensure that potential
can be recognised independently of ability to participate in a
certain set of experiences.

‘Career Pathways Mapping Project’: a future?

This project has been, to date, conceived, managed and delivered
by one member of staff with a varied job role. The ambitious
design of the project means that there is scope for building on the
work to date, to maximise the input of the participating young
people.

- Central should invest the resource needed to fully
transcribe and analyse the interviews conducted during this
research project.

- Central should also invest the resource needed to tabulate
the quantitative data obtained through the research, and
analyse for patters within individuals and across cohorts.

- Central should then seek to make this resource open to
other researchers, so that the participants’ contributions exist
beyond the publication of the final report.
- Attention would need to be paid to issues of
consent.

Further research (2011-2012) (1)

- Driver for this project is the commitment made in
Central’s 2011-2012 access agreement.

Central will institute a time-limited impact study, following completion and
dissemination of its ‘Career Pathways Mapping Project’, to measure the impact and
effect of its outreach activities since the inauguration of the first access agreement in
2006-2007. This study will work with new and continuing students, graduates and
postgraduate students to continue from the focus on pre-applicants in the previous
research project. This research will also enable to School to plan its outreach
commitments from 2012-2013 onwards. (Section 7.5.3)

- This will be a short-term study using both
quantitative and qualitative data gained from e- mail
questionnaires and focus groups.

Further research (2011-2012) (2)

- ‘Shift’ session at PSi #18 (Performance Studies
International) conference, 2012
Journeys and their ends: Training, social division and quality

The shift will open up the concept of the training ‘journey’ by suggesting that it is
something much larger than a course within an institution. It will look at the range of
extra-institutional journeys and blockages to them, the effects on what is trained and
learnt, and the emergence of aesthetic choices from what is negotiated. It will try to
gather together and map the journeys of all in the session, to produce a more
complex collective understanding of the sociality of training.

- This session will be both discursive and
collaborative, two key features of our subject area. It
will bring together young people from Leeds and
surrounding areas, teachers, PSi delegates, staff from
partner institutions (Liverpool Community College and
Graeae), a Central alum, and staff from across the
School.

Conclusions

- WP in HE is driven by both institutional and
governmental imperatives

- WP is essential, not simply to fulfil Government
objectives, but to ensure diversity of the student body

- WP is the ‘philosophy’ behind this activity, and outreach
the way of enacting it

- The aim is to broaden access to higher education, and
specifically at Central to drama as a subject area

- Beware of the ‘deficit model’ approach

- The individual is of paramount importance

- We’re already doing a lot of good work, but there is much
room for improvement!

Concluding remarks

- This has been an ambitious – and unique – piece
of research.

- There is very little similar research available.

- The mixture of approaches has provided a broad
picture of access to participation in drama.

- It is envisaged that this research will be relevant
to Central, as well as other drama schools/HEIs
and related bodies (CDS/NCDT, DfE, DBIS,
HEFCE, Action on Access, examination boards,
ACE).

What were the aims of the session?

- Provide a context for the research: institutional,
governmental and theoretical.

- Provide an overview of WP activity at Central

- Describe Central’s Career Pathways Mapping
Project

- Present findings and recommendations from the
Career Pathways Mapping Project

- Consider further research opportunities

What have we covered?
- Contexts for the research: researcher;
institutional; policy; theory

- Research aims and questions

- Operation of the research

- Research findings and recommendations

- Further research

- Concluding remarks

Bibliography (1)

• Go to www.cssd.ac.uk to read Central’s WP Strategy

• Go to www.cssd.ac.uk to read more about our school and community liaison activity. You’ll also see links
to some of our other outreach activity.

• See the HEFCE website for further information on the strategic drivers behind WP: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/
widen/

• Go to www.offa.org.uk to read Central’s access agreement

• Archer, L, M Hutchings, and A Ross. Higher Education and Social Class: Issues of Exclusion and
Inclusion. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003

• Arts Council England. (2012) ‘Bridge organisations’. [Online]. Available from
<http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/our-priorities-2011-15/children-and-young-people/bridge-
organisations/>/. [Accessed 4 April 2012].

• Bourdieu, P. (1984; 2010) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Trans Nice, R.
Abingdon: Routledge Classics.

• Bourdieu, P. (2006) ‘The Forms of Capital’. In: Lauder, H., Brown, P., Dillabough, J.A., and Halsey, A. H.
(eds). Education, Globalization and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp105-118.

• Burke, P.J. (2002) Accessing Education effectively widening participation. Stoke-on-Trent, Trentham
Books.

• Burke, P.J. ‘Fair access? Exploring gender, access and participation beyond entry to higher education’ in
Leathwood C. and Francis, B. (Eds) Gender and Lifelong Learning: Critical Feminist Engagements.
Abingdon: Routledge, 2006

• Bunting, C. (2010) Achieving great art for everyone: A review of research and literature to inform the Arts
Council’s 10-year strategic framework. London: Arts Council England.

Bibliography (2)

• Denham, J. (2007) ‘Speech’, Conference Proceedings, Action on Access Annual Conference, 11.12.07.

• Foucault, M. (1982) The Subject and Power (1982) Excerpt. [Online] Available from <http://foucault.info/
documents/foucault.power.en.html>. [Accessed 17 September 2011].

• Gillborn, D. (2008) ‘What Happened to Race Equality?’, Conference Proceedings, ‘Widening Participation:
Challenging Educational Inequalities’, Institute of Education, 7.1.08.

• Gordon, C. (ed) (1980) Michel Foucault: Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings
1972-1977 By Michel Foucault. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

• Hall, M. (2012) Inequality and higher education: marketplace or social justice? Stimulus paper. London:
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

• Harris, M. (2010) ‘Targeted outreach is the key to widening access at highly selective universities’ [Press
release]. Available from <http://www.offa.org.uk/press-releases/targeted-outreach-is-the-key-to-widening-
access-at-highly-selective-universities-says-offa/> Bristol: Office for Fair Access.

• Harrison, R. (2010) ‘Homotopia? Recognising and understanding: how are young gay male subjectivities
constituted in the school drama studio, and what are the implications of these constitutions and
identifications for participation in learning?’ [Unpublished MA assignment] London.

• Harrison, R. (2011) Models of Engagement: How Producing Theatres Engage Young People as Makers
and Spectators. [Unpublished MA dissertation]. London.

• Henley, D. (2012) Cultural Education in England: An independent review by Darren Henley for the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education. London: Department for
Culture, Media and Sport.

• Hornbrook, D. (1991) Education in Drama: Casting the Dramatic Curriculum. ‘The Falmer Press Library
on Aesthetic Education: The Individual Studies’ series. London: The Falmer Press.

Bibliography (3)

• Kempe, A. and Nicholson, H. (2007) Learning to Teach Drama 11-18. Second edition. London:
Continuum.

• Lewis, K. ‘Widening Participation: Philosophy, policy and practice’. Conference Proceedings, ‘AUA
London Region Conference’, Birkbeck, University of London, 12.11.08.

• Murphy, P. (2007) ‘Drama as Radical Pedagogy’ in Downes, P. and Gilliagan, A.L. (eds) (2007) Beyond
educational disadvantage. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.

• Oates, T., M. James, A. Pollard and D William. (2011) The Framework for the National Curriculum: A
report by the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review. London: Department for Education.

• Reay, D, M. E. David and S Ball. (2005) Degrees of Choice: Social Class, Race and Gender in Higher
Education. Stoke-on-Trent, Trentham Books.

• Taylor, P. (2000) The Drama Classroom: Action, Reflection, Transformation. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

If you’d like to read a copy of the
finalised research report, and the
research report for the one-year
impact study, visit

www.cssd.ac.uk/schools

If you have any comments or
questions, contact me on:

Richard.Harrison@cssd.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7449 1597
Mob: +44 (0) 7887 691 937

www.cssd.ac.uk/schools

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