Introduction to ‘Play care and revolt: new approaches to workshop facilitation’

The dossier introduced here gathers contributions by members of the Interdisciplinary Performative Pedagogies (IPP) working group at the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), focusing on innovative methodologies for the facilitation of workshops in a range of settings. The short articles in this collection stem from IFTR’s 2025 theme of carnival, with ‘ekstasis’, ‘subversion’ and ‘metamorphosis’ as subtopics, but they also reflect another triad that can be especially associated with applied and collaborative practices: play, care and revolt. Following Sheila Preston’s idea of critical facilitation, the work examines the pedagogical assumptions, affective dimensions and political implications involved in the relationship between practitioners and participants.