Theatre and performance research in South Africa - Revision history

Satj: /* Preparing the groundwork 1945-62 */

2020-11-18T14:16:01Z

Preparing the groundwork 1945-62

Satj: /* Preparing the groundwork 1945-62 */

2020-11-18T14:13:48Z

Preparing the groundwork 1945-62

Miriamt at 06:54, 6 August 2018

2018-08-06T06:54:37Z

Centaps: /* Towards a new dispensation 1997- */

2010-09-16T14:15:09Z

Towards a new dispensation 1997-

Centaps: /* Conclusion */

2010-09-16T14:14:38Z

Conclusion

Centaps: /* Towards a new dispensation 1997- */

2010-09-16T14:09:49Z

Towards a new dispensation 1997-

Centaps: /* Towards a new dispensation 1997- */

2010-09-16T14:05:46Z

Towards a new dispensation 1997-

Centaps: /* Re-visiting the past, coping with the future, rethinking paradigms 1988-94 */

2010-09-16T13:58:47Z

Re-visiting the past, coping with the future, rethinking paradigms 1988-94

Centaps: /* Re-visiting the past, coping with the future, rethinking paradigms 1988-94 */

2010-09-16T13:50:16Z

Re-visiting the past, coping with the future, rethinking paradigms 1988-94

Centaps at 13:35, 16 September 2010

2010-09-16T13:35:14Z

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 However, this was the period in which the professional theatre established itself as a coherent system. By 1945 the professional industry had become much stronger and more diverse, evolving rapidly from the rather non-cohesive pre-war polysystem consisting of a strong amateur base (among all language and population groups), the largely itinerant rural Afrikaans theatre, a repertory English system in the cities, and the emerging urban and rural patterns of music and dance performances among the Black population. In 1947 the state granted funding to found [[National Theatre Organisation]] (NTO), the first state supported theatre company in the British Commonwealth. In theory it was to provide theatre for the whole country, though actually limited of course to white Afrikaans and English touring companies. In 1961 this concept was adapted and enlarged to become four well funded provincial [[Performing Arts Councils]],  responsible for theatre, music, dance and opera in the four provinces. They were the [[Cape Performing Arts Board]] (CAPAB), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] (PACT), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State]] (PACOFS) and the [[Natal Performing Arts Council]] (NAPAC))  Their repertoires were largely European, English and American, with a smattering of original Afrikaans work, and the occasional English play by a local writer. At the same time, toward the latter part of the period, we see the first stirrings of more politicised work. For example, between 1956 and 1962 [[Athol Fugard]] made his appearance,  the musical [[King Kong]] introduced a new kind of urban performance and a number of Afrikaans and English writers produced controversial work which changed the nature of local writing.
-In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with [[The Cell]] (1956), [[No-Good Friday]] (1958), [[Nongogo]] (1959), and [[The Blood Knot]] (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include [[Moeder Hanna]] (1956) and [[Die Verminktes]] (performed as [[The Maimed]], London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], [[Germanicus]] (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], [[The Kimberley Train]] (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], [[Try for White]] (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and [[King Kong]] (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Matshikiza]] (1959).
+In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with ''[[The Cell]]'' (1956), ''[[No-Good Friday]]'' (1958), ''[[Nongogo]]'' (1959), and ''[[The Blood Knot]]'' (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include ''[[Moeder Hanna]]'' (1956) and ''[[Die Verminktes]]'' (performed as ''[[The Maimed]]'', London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], ''[[Germanicus]]'' (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], ''[[The Kimberley Train]]'' (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], ''[[Try for White]]'' (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and ''[[King Kong]]'' (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Matshikiza]] (1959).
 Of course, this growth in practice was inevitably accompanied by a similar growth in the publication of commentary and reviews, most of the newspapers now having substantial arts pages and regular theatre reviewers, some of them not only academically well equipped, but well aware of international trends – particularly among the Afrikaans critics. A good case in point was [[W.E.G. Louw]],  one of the most prominent critics of the 1950s and 1960s and later an influential and powerful arts editor,  who claimed to have seen over 1 000 European performances during his frequent visits to the European continent.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 However, this was the period in which the professional theatre established itself as a coherent system. By 1945 the professional industry had become much stronger and more diverse, evolving rapidly from the rather non-cohesive pre-war polysystem consisting of a strong amateur base (among all language and population groups), the largely itinerant rural Afrikaans theatre, a repertory English system in the cities, and the emerging urban and rural patterns of music and dance performances among the Black population. In 1947 the state granted funding to found [[National Theatre Organisation]] (NTO), the first state supported theatre company in the British Commonwealth. In theory it was to provide theatre for the whole country, though actually limited of course to white Afrikaans and English touring companies. In 1961 this concept was adapted and enlarged to become four well funded provincial [[Performing Arts Councils]],  responsible for theatre, music, dance and opera in the four provinces. They were the [[Cape Performing Arts Board]] (CAPAB), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] (PACT), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State]] (PACOFS) and the [[Natal Performing Arts Council]] (NAPAC))  Their repertoires were largely European, English and American, with a smattering of original Afrikaans work, and the occasional English play by a local writer. At the same time, toward the latter part of the period, we see the first stirrings of more politicised work. For example, between 1956 and 1962 [[Athol Fugard]] made his appearance,  the musical [[King Kong]] introduced a new kind of urban performance and a number of Afrikaans and English writers produced controversial work which changed the nature of local writing.
-In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with [[The Cell]] (1956), [[No Good Friday]] (1958), [[Nongogo]] (1959), and [[The Bloodknot]] (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include [[Moeder Hanna]] (1956) and [[Die Verminktes]] (performed as [[The Maimed]], London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], [[Germanicus]] (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], [[The Kimberley Train]] (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], [[Try for White]] (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and [[King Kong]] (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Matshikiza]] (1959).
+In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with [[The Cell]] (1956), [[No-Good Friday]] (1958), [[Nongogo]] (1959), and [[The Blood Knot]] (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include [[Moeder Hanna]] (1956) and [[Die Verminktes]] (performed as [[The Maimed]], London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], [[Germanicus]] (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], [[The Kimberley Train]] (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], [[Try for White]] (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and [[King Kong]] (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Matshikiza]] (1959).
 Of course, this growth in practice was inevitably accompanied by a similar growth in the publication of commentary and reviews, most of the newspapers now having substantial arts pages and regular theatre reviewers, some of them not only academically well equipped, but well aware of international trends – particularly among the Afrikaans critics. A good case in point was [[W.E.G. Louw]],  one of the most prominent critics of the 1950s and 1960s and later an influential and powerful arts editor,  who claimed to have seen over 1 000 European performances during his frequent visits to the European continent.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 However, this was the period in which the professional theatre established itself as a coherent system. By 1945 the professional industry had become much stronger and more diverse, evolving rapidly from the rather non-cohesive pre-war polysystem consisting of a strong amateur base (among all language and population groups), the largely itinerant rural Afrikaans theatre, a repertory English system in the cities, and the emerging urban and rural patterns of music and dance performances among the Black population. In 1947 the state granted funding to found [[National Theatre Organisation]] (NTO), the first state supported theatre company in the British Commonwealth. In theory it was to provide theatre for the whole country, though actually limited of course to white Afrikaans and English touring companies. In 1961 this concept was adapted and enlarged to become four well funded provincial [[Performing Arts Councils]],  responsible for theatre, music, dance and opera in the four provinces. They were the [[Cape Performing Arts Board]] (CAPAB), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal]] (PACT), the [[Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State]] (PACOFS) and the [[Natal Performing Arts Council]] (NAPAC))  Their repertoires were largely European, English and American, with a smattering of original Afrikaans work, and the occasional English play by a local writer. At the same time, toward the latter part of the period, we see the first stirrings of more politicised work. For example, between 1956 and 1962 [[Athol Fugard]] made his appearance,  the musical [[King Kong]] introduced a new kind of urban performance and a number of Afrikaans and English writers produced controversial work which changed the nature of local writing.
-In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with [[The Cell]] (1956), [[No Good Friday]] (1958), [[Nongogo]] (1959), and [[The Bloodknot]] (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include [[Moeder Hanna]] (1956) and [[Die Verminktes]] (performed as [[The Maimed]], London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], [[Germanicus]] (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], [[The Kimberley Train]] (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], [[Try for White]] (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and [[King Kong]] (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Mitshikiza]] (1959).
+In fact 1956-1962 must rank as one of the most influential periods in the history of South African theatre practice, particularly for its later impact on the politically charged theatre of the 1970s, when one considers the content and style the new theatrical works that premiered in those seven years: Besides the arrival of a young [[Athol Fugard]] with [[The Cell]] (1956), [[No Good Friday]] (1958), [[Nongogo]] (1959), and [[The Bloodknot]] (1961), the more influential plays of the time also include [[Moeder Hanna]] (1956) and [[Die Verminktes]] (performed as [[The Maimed]], London 1960) by [[Bartho Smit]], [[Germanicus]] (1957) by [[N.P. van Wyk Louw]], [[The Kimberley Train]] (1958) by [[Lewis Sowden]], [[Try for White]] (1959) by [[Basil Warner]] and [[King Kong]] (1959) by [[Harry Bloom]], [[Pat Williams]] and [[Todd Matshikiza]] (1959).
 Of course, this growth in practice was inevitably accompanied by a similar growth in the publication of commentary and reviews, most of the newspapers now having substantial arts pages and regular theatre reviewers, some of them not only academically well equipped, but well aware of international trends – particularly among the Afrikaans critics. A good case in point was [[W.E.G. Louw]],  one of the most prominent critics of the 1950s and 1960s and later an influential and powerful arts editor,  who claimed to have seen over 1 000 European performances during his frequent visits to the European continent.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:15, 16 September 2010
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	Like the years 1984-5, this short phase produced a significant increase in doctoral studies and a large number of important articles and at least sixteen substantial book publications, from traditional histories to more radical and innovative studies of alternative performance forms in the country, notably oral performance and dance. Some of the most important contributions came from [[Walter Greyvenstein]], [[P.J. du Toit]], [[Julian Smith]] and [[Zakes Mda]], [[Martin Orkin]], [[J.C. Kannemeyer]], [[Astrid von Kotze]] and [[Liz Gunner]], all of them managing to extend range of the field of study in some way or another.		Like the years 1984-5, this short phase produced a significant increase in doctoral studies and a large number of important articles and at least sixteen substantial book publications, from traditional histories to more radical and innovative studies of alternative performance forms in the country, notably oral performance and dance. Some of the most important contributions came from [[Walter Greyvenstein]], [[P.J. du Toit]], [[Julian Smith]] and [[Zakes Mda]], [[Martin Orkin]], [[J.C. Kannemeyer]], [[Astrid von Kotze]] and [[Liz Gunner]], all of them managing to extend range of the field of study in some way or another.

−	=== Towards a new dispensation 1997- ===	+	=== Towards a new dispensation 1997-2010 ===

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 In part this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on [[Practice as Research (PAR)]] would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
-In the new millennium the South African state made numerous and sometimes radical changes to the tertiary education system, and intensified their campaign to improve research output, notably to get researchers to publish internationally and in all formats. In order to do this a number of further incentives were introduced, most controversially a rating system for researchers based on their output and reputation. The response of the research community would be diverse,  but active, including fiery debates about the PAR issue and - linked to that - efforts to establish practice based doctoral programmes in South Africa, something the government is strenuously resisting. Part of this process has included a state sponsored pilot research project by Mark Fleishman and representatives from a number of Drama Departments, seeking ways to set up a peer review system for creative research outputs.
+In the new millennium the South African state made numerous and sometimes radical changes to the tertiary education system, and intensified their campaign to improve research output, notably to get researchers to publish internationally and in all formats. In order to do this a number of further incentives were introduced, most controversially a rating system for researchers based on their output and reputation. The response of the research community would be diverse,  but active, including fiery debates about the PAR issue and - linked to that - efforts to establish practice based doctoral programmes in South Africa, something the government is strenuously resisting. Part of this process has included a state sponsored pilot research project by [[Mark Fleishman]] and representatives from a number of Drama Departments, seeking ways to set up a peer review system for creative research outputs.
-The reasoning behind this drive to accredit PAR processes derives from the exciting new experimental work being undertaken by a number of performing companies in the country, utilising performance to explore identity and processes of understanding and healing, as well as recovering the past.  Such processes are not only areas of practical endeavour, but also keenly studied by a number of researchers, such as Yvette Hutchison, Mark Fleishman, Nadia Davids, Juanita Finestone and Alex Sutherland .
+The reasoning behind this drive to accredit PAR processes derives from the exciting new experimental work being undertaken by a number of performing companies in the country, utilising performance to explore identity and processes of understanding and healing, as well as recovering the past.    Notable examples in recent times include [[Mark Fleishman]] and [[Jenny Reznik’s]] [[Magnet Theatre]], [[Gary Gordon]]’s The [[First Physical Theatre Company]],  [[Brett Bailey]]’s [[Third World Bunfight]],  [[Basil Jones]]  and [[Adrian Kohler]]’s  [[Handspring Puppet Company]], and [[Eric Abraham]] and [[Mark Dornford-May]]’s [[Isango Portobello]] company.  Such processes are not only areas of practical endeavour, but also keenly studied by a number of researchers, such as [[Yvette Hutchison]], [[Mark Fleishman]], [[Nadia Davids]], [[Juanita Finestone]], [[Petrus du Preez]] and [[Alex Sutherland]] .
-In addition to the work itself, these interests have led to a series of groundbreaking conferences over the past ten year, including  the three Dramatic Learning Spaces conferences organised by Veronica Baxter at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, the 2007 IFTR Annual Conference held at the University of Stellenbosch, and in 2009 an Applied Theatre conference organised by Warren Nebe at the University of the Witwatersrand. Among the many African initiatives the IFTR this year sponsored a seminar in Stellenbosch on academic writing for African scholars.
+In addition to the work itself, these interests have led to a series of groundbreaking conferences over the past ten year, including  the three [[Dramatic Learning Spaces]] conferences organised by [[Veronica Baxter]] at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, the 2007 IFTR Annual Conference held at the University of Stellenbosch, and in 2009 an Applied Theatre conference organised by [[Warren Nebe]] at the University of the Witwatersrand. Among the many African initiatives the IFTR this year sponsored a seminar in Stellenbosch on academic writing for African scholars.

@@ Line 161: / Line 161: @@
 Perhaps the most influential of these were [[Loren Kruger]]’s ''The Drama of South Africa. Plays, pageants and publics since 1910'',  one of the best overviews of the history of theatre and performance in the country since Bosman’s 1928 publication and [[Duncan Brown]]’s ''Oral Literature & Performance in Southern Africa'',  a significant contribution to our knowledge of indigenous oral  performance.  It was supported by other perspectives on the history and the plays published between 1997-9 by [[Bernth Lindfors]], [[Lizbeth Goodman]], [[Martin Orkin]], [[Kathy Perkins]], [[David Graver]], [[Rolf Solberg]] and [[Temple Hauptfleisch]].  However, what now becomes an issue of some concern is the fact that, unlike the previous periods discussed, the majority of the academic work published is the work of academics attached to foreign institutions, not local researchers – despite the incentives in place.
-In part this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on [[Practice as Research]] (PAR) would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
+In part this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on [[Practice as Research (PAR)]] would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
 == Conclusion ==

@@ Line 155: / Line 155: @@
-The final period I want to discuss briefly comes just at the point when the country’s old theatre system, which had been under intense scrutiny and threat at the start of the 1990s, had finally been dismantled and much of its energy had shifted to the vibrant and wide-spread festival circuit which had emerged since 1994 and to the new generation of small, non-conventional urban performance venues.   On the other hand, the academic system was now well entrenched, open to (if not yet financially accessible to) all citizens, and most importantly theatre and performance studies was a recognized field of post graduate study and was being suitably funded by the state.
+The final period comes just at the point when the country’s old theatre system, which had been under intense scrutiny and threat at the start of the 1990s, had finally been dismantled and much of its energy had shifted to the vibrant and wide-spread festival circuit which had emerged since 1994 and to the new generation of small, non-conventional urban performance venues.  (See for example articles in Temple Hauptfleisch ''et al'' (Eds) ''Festivalising!  Theatrical Events, Politics and Culture''. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2007 and Rolf Solberg (Ed) ''South African Theatre in the Melting Pot. Trends and Developments at the Turn of the Millenium''. Grahamstown, ISEA, 2003.) On the other hand, the academic system was now well entrenched, open to (if not yet financially accessible to) all citizens, and most importantly theatre and performance studies was a recognized field of post graduate study and was being suitably funded by the state.
-This secure status is well illustrated by the three years preceding the new millennium, when more than 60 masters and doctoral studies were completed and 12 substantial books appeared.  Perhaps the most influential of these were Loren Kruger’s The Drama of South Africa. Plays, pageants and publics since 1910,  one of the best overviews of the history of theatre and performance in the country since Bosman’s 1928 publication and Duncan Brown’s Oral Literature & Performance in Southern Africa,  a significant contribution to our knowledge of indigenous oral  performance.  It was supported by other perspectives on the history and the plays published between 1997-9 by Bernth Lindfors, Lizbeth Goodman, Martin Orkin, Kathy Perkins, David Graver, Rolf Solberg and Temple Hauptfleisch.  However, what now becomes an issue of some concern is the fact that, unlike the previous periods discussed, the majority of the academic work published is the work of academics attached to foreign institutions, not local researchers – despite the incentives in place.
+This secure status is well illustrated by the three years preceding the new millennium, when more than 60 masters and doctoral studies were completed and 12 substantial books appeared.  (This count is based on a broad preliminary search of the Nexus database of registered research, managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF), done by [[Temple Hauptfleisch]] and [[Hannah Borthwick]] in April 2010.  They used the terms drama, theatre and performance as keywords, and searched all literature departments for all South African languages,  as well as taught European and other literatures, and drama departments.)
-In part I suppose this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on Practice as Research (PAR) would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
+In part this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on [[Practice as Research]] (PAR) would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
 == Conclusion ==

@@ Line 146: / Line 146: @@
 This phase, which coincided with the democratization process in South Africa,  was an extremely volatile and interesting one, during which the future of the theatre and the shape and role of the theatre industry was heavily debated in a diverse number of forums and publications. It was also a time of some self-doubt and uncertainty among artists,  writers and academics, since much of the raison d’etre for the period preceding had been the liberation struggle – without the struggle, what would one write about or build performances on?  Yet, interestingly enough, this very uncertainty actually seemed to stimulate publication and research in a number of ways. Building on the infrastructure created and the theoretical and methodological advances of the 1980s, the decade following 1988, saw another burst of activity, with the pressure to publish increasing,  a [[South African Association for Theatre Research]] being founded, a marked increase in students for drama departments and candidates for post graduate study, and a conscious attempt by academics and artists to return to international participation after the ending of the cultural boycott.
 The 1980s trend towards founding research facilities (centres and institutes) at various Universities continued, among them the [[Centre for Cultural and Media Studies (CCMS)]] at the University of Natal in Durban, the [[Institute for the Study of English In Africa (ISEA)]] at Rhodes University and the [[Centre for the Study of African Language and Literature (CESALL)]] at the University of Durban Westville. The [[Mayibuye Centre for History and Culture in South Africa]] at the University of the Western Cape was founded in the 1990s (and in 2001 became part of the Robben Island Museum, its archives being called the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives, but still housed in the Centre on the campus).   One of the youngest of the centres - and perhaps the most specifically focussed on theatre and performance - was with the [[Centre for Theatre and Performance Studies (CENTAPS)]] at the University of Stellenbosch (1994-2009).   This clearinghouse and information centre was an active research centre engaged in a number of research programmes on the theory, history and function of theatre in South Africa, as well as being the publisher of the seminal research publication [[South African Theatre Journal]] (SATJ).
-Like the years 1984-5,  this short phase produced a significant increase in doctoral studies  and a large number of important articles and at least sixteen substantial book publications, from traditional histories to more radical and innovative studies of alternative performance forms in the country, notably oral performance and dance. Some of the most important contributions came from [[Martin Orkin]], [[J.C. Kannemeyer]], [[Astrid von Kotze]] and [[Liz Gunner]], all of them managing to extend range of the field of study in some way or another.
+SATJ was originally founded in 1987 by [[Temple Hauptfleisch]] and [[Ian Steadman]].  The first academic theatre journal which complied with the demands of the state’s publication reward system (discussed above), it offered a space for the publication of ongoing research and, with the pressure to publish mounting, it  gradually began to receive increasing numbers of contributions from drama departments and reinforcing the theoretical components of drama programmes. Another theatre journal founded in 1988 was [[Shakespeare in South Africa]], a more literary journal edited by [[Laurence Wright]] for the [[Shakespeare Society of Southern Africa]] and published by the [[Institute for the Study of English In Africa (ISEA).  ]]
 === Towards a new dispensation 1997- ===

@@ Line 150: / Line 150: @@
 Like the years 1984-5,  this short phase produced a significant increase in doctoral studies  and a large number of important articles and at least sixteen substantial book publications, from traditional histories to more radical and innovative studies of alternative performance forms in the country, notably oral performance and dance. Some of the most important contributions came from Martin Orkin, J.C. Kannemeyer, Astrid von Kotze and Liz Gunner, all of them managging to extend range of the field of study in some way or another.
-Phase Five: 1997-9
 The final period I want to discuss briefly comes just at the point when the country’s old theatre system, which had been under intense scrutiny and threat at the start of the 1990s, had finally been dismantled and much of its energy had shifted to the vibrant and wide-spread festival circuit which had emerged since 1994 and to the new generation of small, non-conventional urban performance venues.   On the other hand, the academic system was now well entrenched, open to (if not yet financially accessible to) all citizens, and most importantly theatre and performance studies was a recognized field of post graduate study and was being suitably funded by the state.
@@ Line 158: / Line 160: @@
 In part I suppose this had to do with the nature of the state’s incentive system itself, which favours the publication of articles in academic journals to books, but it also has something to do with a growing dissatisfaction among the faculty of arts departments at tertiary institutions regarding the role of the artist-lecturer and the research element in creative work. This focus on Practice as Research (PAR) would become a major factor in the decade ahead, as performance research began to adapt itself to Africa.
-Conclusion:
 In the new millennium the South African state made numerous and sometimes radical changes to the tertiary education system, and intensified their campaign to improve research output, notably to get researchers to publish internationally and in all formats. In order to do this a number of further incentives were introduced, most controversially a rating system for researchers based on their output and reputation. The response of the research community would be diverse,  but active, including fiery debates about the PAR issue and - linked to that - efforts to establish practice based doctoral programmes in South Africa, something the government is strenuously resisting. Part of this process has included a state sponsored pilot research project by Mark Fleishman and representatives from a number of Drama Departments, seeking ways to set up a peer review system for creative research outputs.