Building a model for advancing communication between Theatre for Young Audiences artists and spectators in Korea through an intercultural theatre approach

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to propose a model to advance communication between Theatre for Young Audiences artists and spectators in Korea using an intercultural theatre approach. While studies on how audiences perceive theatre has been active in the past three decades in theatre scholarship, studies on young audiences have been limited. Even when conducted, most studies position young audiences as subjects of education rather than an essential element of the meaning making process. I approach Theatre for Young Audiences as an intercultural form of theatre, of which the culture of the audience become a source culture for the artists. Adapting and merging previous audience communication theories, I propose a workshop system adaptable to circumstances unique to Korean TYA that advocates for increased communication between artists and young audiences. The result is a working model that can be adapted immediately to private and public theatre companies.