The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a summative evaluation of my own artistic process in developing an interactive theatre performance, in order to better understand how to best integrate technological tools in future development processes. Formative and summative evaluations are essential to both design and artistic research. Formative evaluations are conducted during development to influence and evaluate design decisions as they are being made, and summative evaluations usually assess the experience of a completed project. Both are integral to good design processes and helps artistic based research projects. As Linda Candy (2014) describes in Interactive Experience in the Digital Age, that evaluation involves judging the value of something, usually against specific goals or criterias. Through evaluation an understanding is created about an already existing situation with the opportunity for making progress in the future in the field. Evaluation is a practice and the output must be understood in the specific context where the work took place. Evaluation methods varies widely depending on a product, service, an artistic or a commercial experience with aesthetic qualities is designed (Candy, 2014). In this thesis I will evaluate on an already existing artistic artwork with aesthetic qualities, that is the development of my artistic work. I want to do so in order to make progress in the future within the field I am researching. My summative evaluation will provide the knowledge, and a discussion entailing which technologies I could have applied in my artistic process. The context of which I will evaluate is in theatre and performance creation. This thesis demonstrates practice-based research, because I will work around three elements that are practice, theory and evaluation. As a practicing researcher I have collaborated with an artist to create a theatre play, and in this thesis, I will develop a conceptual frame consisting of relevant theory and methods to conduct the summative evaluation study. The key literature applied is Richard Schechner (2004) Performance Theory, Marvin Carlson
(2018) Performance: A Critical Introduction, Carole Gray and Julian Malins (2004) Visualising Research: A Guide for postgraduate Students in Art and Design, Mika Hannula, Juha Suoranta og Tere Vadén (2005) Artistic Research – theories, methods and prectices, Linda Candy (2014)
2
Interactive Experience in the Digital Age: Evaluating New Art Practice, Marie Laure-Ryan (2004) Narrative Across Media, Marc Tassoul (2009) Creative Facilitation and Christian Jantzen, Mikael Vetner and Julie Bouchet (2011) Oplevelsesdesign.
I will connect these theoretical perspectives with practice-based research to inform the knowledge about the creative processes for developing artistic work, and consider digital technologies for implementation in artistic processes. Based on this knowledge, I evaluate which technologies to incorporate in future development processes. My research subject is supported by theory on performance and theatre, theory about evaluation and applied methods in artistic research. This knowledge from my artistic based research is an integral part of my investigative process.
Based on my research area in Experiencedesign my research question is, Which digital/IT-elements can I apply to create a theatreplay?
In relation to my practice that is carried out in my research, Gray and Malins (2004) describes that action and reflection provides means to investigate the content and context of one’s creative activity to innovate or make progress. My motivation for this thesis is to make progress in own creative activity conducted in practice through action and reflection to answer my research question, Which digital/IT-elements can I apply to create a theatreplay?
My action appears in my practice where I form a theatre play using artistic based research methods in collaboration with my collaborative partners. In my evaluation and discussion, I reflect upon which technologies could have supported my development process. This progress in my research will give other researchers in artistic based research research new knowledge or a different understanding in terms of the creation of theatreplays with which methods to apply and technologies to incorporate.