Moving in a different direction (directing down under): the evolution of director training into studies of ‘creative leadership’ in an Australian context

Abstract

In Australia, formal training as a director is likely to be completed at university as part of an undergraduate bachelor’s degree, generally as a single unit of study within a broader acting/performance/drama studies programme. Conversely, countries such as the US and UK are understood to have healthy traditions of vocationally aligned MA and MFA programmes, initially emerging to develop advanced acting skills, later evolving to also provide specialist skills in directing (see Connolly 2013; Francombe 2002; Jackson 2001, 2004; Zazzali 2016). Comparably, however, in Australia, despite the influence of the UK and US on many of the nation’s cultural institutions and historical guiding policies, practical options for conservatoire training for directors at postgraduate level are extremely limited. For Australian students seeking a higher level of learning in director training, the most viable options are found within what is colloquially known as a masters by research, more widely referred to as an MPhil, and PhD modes of study, which bring with them the expectation that the learning will fit within clearly defined research frameworks. For directors, this means that any exercise in attempting to further specialise their skills and knowledge beyond an undergraduate qualification must be conducted through a methodological framework, and for many the most obvious choice becomes practice-led research. While this choice is not inherently