Fionn Woodhouse

Fionn Woodhouse is a lecturer in the Department of Theatre in University College Cork. He is a director, producer and facilitator of drama/theatre with particular interest in youth participation and learning through practice. Fionn is an active educational drama practitioner, having trained and worked with Graffiti Educational Theatre Company for over 14 years. During this time he has co designed and facilitated various programmes including anti racism/bullying. UCC Plus+ Drama Workshops, CIT Access Workshops, etc. With a strong interest in youth theatre, Fionn is the Artistic Director of Lightbulb Youth Theatre. He is also a current board member of the Youth Theatre Ireland and a member of the Editorial Board for the Youth Theatre Ireland Magazine. Fionn is founder member of With an ‘F’ Productions theatre company that has toured shows both nationally and internationally. The current focus of the company is on developing new writing.

My research interests include both theory and practice in the following areas: Educational Drama Drama/theatre as a pedagogy Youth Theatre Drama participation impact - social, cultural & educational Through my professional work with Graffiti Educational Theatre Company, as an educational workshop facilitator and designer, I have developed a strong sense of the importance of practice in developing theory in relation to educational drama. The convergence of theories of Performative Teaching and Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness and Play in a practice context and how this practice can be 'captured' from varying viewpoints and reflected upon to further develop both theory and practice has been a theme through my work. I have been involved in Youth Theatre as a participant and then professional for over 20 years. Through this long association I have developed interests in the transformative potential of drama participation on young people both through self reflection and participant observation. Notions around Youth Theatre practice as a artistic, personal and social development process with young people as active participants in drama and theatre creation and harnessing this potential continue to interest me. My current academic research focuses on the impact of participation in drama practice over time. Building on theories of drama in education, affective engagement and conceptual blending I am researching educational drama workshops as a site of meaningful memory.

I currently primarily teach on and/or coordinate DR2019 Applied Drama and Theatre, DR3020 Applied Drama and Theatre: Advanced, DR3001 Summer Internship, DR3023 In-semester Internship, D3024 Research Placement, DR3009 Special Studies in Theatre Production. I have also contributed to DR1007 Introduction: Theatre and Performative Practice, DR2003 Theatre and Performative Practice, DR2012 Cultures of Movement and Place, DR2016 Performance Technologies, DR2027 Theatre and Performative Practice 3, DR3013 Final Year Project, DR3018 Cultures of Movement and Place, Previously I have contributed to Introduction to Theatre Practice (DR1003 with first year students specifically investigating methods to begun the devising process), DR3011 Theatre and Performance Practice, DR6041 Directed Studies Theatre Social Sciences. I have taught DR3008 Drama and Theatre and Allied Arts with third year students.