Defining drama literacy – beginning the conversation

Abstract

For some time, I have been thinking about the concept of drama literacy and what it might mean to be drama literate. I have to admit to some discomfort about the term. Perhaps, that is because ‘literacy’ in the traditional English teaching sense is often reduced to the discrete teaching of the component parts of the field in isolation, e.g., phonics or grammar. In drama, this might equate to teaching the elements of drama in isolation, or the ‘paint-by-numbers’ approach often applied to the use of dramatic conventions within process drama. So, the term ‘drama literacy’ causes some ambiva-lence and discomfort. However, it is frequently the case that what makes us feel uncomfortable or uncertain is the same thing that is most worth exploring. Hence, drawing on the expert knowledge in and of our field, this article begins a conversation about what drama literacy might mean.