Workshop: Wading into Audience Research

In-person workshop (preceded by group attendance at a performance) at Performing Shores/ The Shores of Performance: The Canadian Association for Theatre Research conference at Dalhousie University (June 15-17, 2023)

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Organized by The Centre for Spectatorship and Audience Research

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Significant exploration of the choppy waters and distant shores of audience reception can be afraught and overwhelming task. It’s easy for the novice to lose their way among the policies andpracticalities of spectatorship studies (Reason). In response, increasing numbers of audienceresearchers are venturing into these waters, hoping to broker equitable encounters betweenresearchers, spectators, and theatre makers. This in-person workshop facilitated by the Centrefor Spectatorship and Audience Research (Kelsey Blair, Kelsey Jacobson, Signy Lynch, ScottMealey, and Jenny Salisbury) invites new and experienced audience researchers to join us on aMaritime spectatorship adventure with the goal of expanding our participants’ methodologicalnavigation. 

Workshop participants will attend a theatre performance together during the conference.Then, using the polyvocal, mixed methods approach featured in our article from “From Site toSelf” (Blair et al.) workshop participants will complete a survey and interview each other aboutthe production at a post-performance session on audience research. The workshop will also highlight critical and ethical approaches to audience research and engage participants in anevaluation of current methods.

To apply, please send a short (150-200 word statement) on your interest in and experience (ifany) with audience research to centreforspectatorship@gmail.com by May 1, 2023. Wewelcome participants at all levels of their academic careers (from students to senior scholars),and with all levels of audience research experience. This workshop will undergo Research EthicsBoard approval (and if you don’t know what that means or entails, we’ll talk about that, too).

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About CATR Conference:

CATR’s 2023 hybrid conference will be hosted online by St. Francis Xavier University and the University of the Fraser Valley from June 10-12, 2023, and in person by Dalhousie University from June 15-17, 2023.

Works Cited

Blair, K., Jacobson, K., Mealey, S., and J. Salisbury. “From Site to Self: Immersion, AudienceResearch, and Polyvocality.” Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, vol. 36, no. 1 (2021), pp.75-93.

Reason, Matthew. “Introduction to Part 2: Participations on Participation: Researching the“active” theatre audience.” Participations vol. 12, no. 1 (2015): pp. 271-280