Re-Acting Design Studio: Dialectical Currencies Between Architectural and Theatre Pedagogy

The paper aims to address the dialectical currency between architectural and theatre pedagogy in order to establish dialogical learning in architectural education. The paper identifies the potential contribution of the synergy between theatre and architecture towards an inclusive and autonomous architectural pedagogy, responding to students' cultural backgrounds. The research utilises Augusto Boal's and Jacques LeCoq's Theatre's techniques, which are both inspired by Paulo Freire's Liberatory Pedagogy. The proposed methodology suggests a dialectic design process, discouraging possible barriers that language creates and places the educator as the facilitator, promoting dialogue, and the students as the spect-actors, both observing and creating during their learning. The paper argues that language is culturally embedded; therefore, physical and gestural exercises enable students to understand critical information within architectural language. The proposed pedagogical model allows students to take ownership of their learning, expressing their cultural, social and familiar backgrounds with rich and varied responses.