‘Practice As Research in the Arts’, An Essential Read

★★★★★
Review by Jordan Rosin
Recently I finished reading an incredible book entitled Practice As Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances (2013), edited by Robin Nelson. Full of global perspective; academic, yet accessible in its tone, this book is an essential read for artists interested in research or academics interested in creative practice.
The book tracks the evolution of Practice as Research (PaR) in a number of different countries and provides helpful strategies, guidelines, and points of consideration for those interested in undertaking a PaR PhD program, or simply dipping their toes into the field of arts research. Robin Nelson is an experienced PaR PhD supervisor and evaluator with a host of helpful case studies and personal anecdotes to shed light on best practices and potential pitfalls in pursuing a creative practice as a form of research.

What is Practice as Research?

Practice as Research (PaR), sometimes interchangeably referred to as Performance Research, Arts Research, Creative Practice Research, Practice-Led Research, Practice-Based Research is a growing field in academia which suggests new ways of knowing, often unquantifiable within more conventional research paradigms such as the Scientific Method, through rigorous and personal engagement with a creative practice. In such practice – imbricated with theory – researchers engage with a kind of ‘doing-knowing’. In their book, Robin Nelson goes into great detail and nuance explaining the who’s, what’s, why’s of PaR as well as outlining possible future directions for the field.

Practice as Research in the U.S.A.

Of particular interest to this US-based reviewer/artist is the chapter in the book entitled “Why Performance as Research? A US Perspective” by Shannon Rose Riley. It is in some ways heart-breaking to read about the differences in funding structures and national interests which have resulted in such strong resistance to PaR initiatives in the United States, especially given their rise in popularity and growing public support in countries like Australia and the United Kingdom. Riley’s assessment that “PaR work is most visible in the US when seen as more of a constellation or conjunction of points of synergy that exists predominantly outside formal structures” seems apt and bodes well with their further advice later in the chapter that – in the U.S.A. – “we might let go of terminology a little bit and instead look for synergies in practice and build on them.”

Conclusion

If you, like me, are a student or graduate from a US-based Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program which emphasizes practical study of a form such as dance, theatre, or performance (and goes light on theory), you might find this book especially helpful in expanding your global awareness of how artist-scholars in other parts of the world are conceiving of their practice and defending its place in academic domains. Whatever your situation, this book is well worth the read.