Applied Theatre in Paediatrics : Stories, Children and Synergies of Emotions

This book explores applied theatre practice for children in environments of illness and cure and how it can powerfully normalise children’s hospitalisation experience. It is an essential tool for making meaning of children’s illness, putting it into a fictional context and developing better control of their clinical experiences. It can be central to raising the standards of care and quality of life during illness. Taken from the author’s research and participatory bedside theatre practice in hospitals before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, this book demonstrates new learning about aesthetics, ethics, emotions, stories, puppetry, digital arts and research methodologies about children’s health and wellbeing. It provides a selection of ten unique stories told by children inspired by applied theatre practice in paediatrics, cardiac, oncology, neurosurgery, burns units and complex and intensive care wards. Stories aid in understanding the language of children’s pain for a better assessment and management of pain by healthcare professionals through the arts. It analyses synergistic theatre performance in 'stitched lands' between challenging realities and safe fictionalities. This book enables artists to develop new ways of thinking and contributes to further improvements in the provision of education and reflective learning in the field. It also addresses the emotional labour of the artist in healthcare and makes recommendations for balanced training to prevent emotional exhaustion. Designed for artists, healthcare professionals, therapists, play specialists and teachers who work with children in healthcare, this text aims to help many people find creative ways of making a positive difference in sick children’s lives. It is a book for those who love and care for children. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgements 1 Hospitalised children’s stories in applied theatre A synergistic and eudemonic phenomenon Stories in-betweenness Communicating pain: a process of attunement Applied theatre or play therapy? The ‘fictional bubble’: explosions and interruptions The act of caring The ‘marginal participant’ technique 2 Applied theatre and digital assets on the wards The ‘Rocket-Arts’ project in hospitals Pre-pandemic bedside performance Post-pandemic digital solutions Collection of stories The impact of COVID-19 on ‘Rocket-Arts’ 3 Sick children’s stories: from patients to story-makers Introduction to stories Jane: ‘The piano is on fire’ Sheila: ‘A moon made of cheese’ Paul: ‘The naughty Wolf’ Alex: ‘My grandfather’s wellies’ Sandy: ‘We need the Pancakes’ 42 Claire: ‘Silence’ Karim: ‘No!’ Lisa: ‘A robot who could not dance’ Melissa: ‘The Planetary’ Margaret: ‘A park for the animals’ Stories of hospitalisation on a stitched land 4 Applied performance, puppetry and hospital tuition The ‘Bird Island’ project Lollie the rough collie and the magic kiss Feeling worried in paediatrics The dramatic frame Participatory puppetry in hospital Research Complementing artistic knowing Emma’s story Katarina’s story Azeeb’s story 5 Caring enough is never enough: training actors on emotional skills Reflective poetry in paediatrics Reflections Walking the labyrinth on the ward: a metaphor Caring for the artist: we can’t pour from an empty cup! Emotional awareness: an act of caring Realisations to take forward Who is the excellent actor in healthcare? A portrait 6 The future: questions and recommendations A flashback: my practice in a nutshell Post-pandemic learning Time for change Actions by healthcare providers Actions by local authorities and governments Actions by artists Appendix A Rocket-Arts’ or Simba, the therapy dog. The script Appendix B ‘Lollie the rough collie and the magic kiss’. The story Index