Examining the pedagogy of theatre lighting

Zezulka, KL

Abstract

This article addresses educational routes into theatre lighting for live performance as well as the
continuing development of lighting professionals once they enter the industry. Both aspects feed
into larger concerns about the industry as a whole: what kind of learning and teaching occur in
technical and design fields, what types of education are valued by students and industry
professionals, and how a primarily freelance workforce maintains high standards of knowledge in an
industry in which technology is constantly and rapidly changing.

Using questionnaire responses and interviews with both lighting professionals and educators, this
article explores the current provision of lighting education, beginning by placing it within the context
of the wider industry and examining distinctions between academic and vocational training,
specifically as they relate to theatre lighting, as well as informal routes into the industry. The current
lack of a formal continuing professional development (CPD) programme is problematic and both is a
symptom of and contributes to the ongoing precarity of the profession. Drawing on recent reports
from government bodies and arts organisations, as well as the qualitative data gathered through the
questionnaires and interviews, the article concludes with some areas for further discussion and
potential directions for training while also ensuring the professional development of early- and midcareer lighting professionals.

Citation

Zezulka, K. (2020). Examining the pedagogy of theatre lighting. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 11(1), 93-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2019.1643401

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 14, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 27, 2020
• Publication Date: Jan 27, 2020
• Deposit Date: Nov 8, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 27, 2021
• Journal: Theatre, Dance and Performance Training
• Print ISSN: 1944-3927
• Electronic ISSN: 1944-3919
• Publisher: Routledge
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 93-107
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2019.1643401
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2019.1643401
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rtdp20/current