1st Edition
The Adaptable Degree How Education in Theatre Supports the Economy of The Future
This book uses a mixed methods research study of the career experiences of theatre graduates in the U.S. to provide data on employment patterns and job satisfaction.
Using a population of over 1000 participants, this study examines where graduates were working, how their careers had changed over time, which skills acquired with their theatre degree were being used in their current employment, and whether they believed their course of study was worth the financial investment given their current circumstances. Evidence from this study indicated that a theatre degree provided many of the skills the employment market is currently seeking and that theatre graduates were gainfully employed in multiple sectors of the economy.
This book provides important data-based, field specific information for chairs, deans, provosts, and politicians, as well as students and parents, at a time when arts and humanities departments across the country are under threat of elimination.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: Passion versus Practicality
Do I need a college degree?
The reality of being an arts grad
What employers want
Passion can lead to prosperity
What the survey told us
In summary
Chapter 2: Patterns of Employment
Four employment scenarios
The trajectory of a career in the arts
Seeking employment in a shifting job market
Where are arts grads working?
The Creative Trident redefined
What the survey told us
In summary
Chapter 3: Skills for All
A graduate who shifted careers
The predominance of shifting careers
The importance of transferable skills
How theatre training delivers
What theatre training looks like
What the survey told us
In summary
Chapter 4: Value versus Expense
The loss of public faith
The student as a customer
Earning potential as a decision-maker
The cost of an education
The neoliberal paradigm
The challenge of performance indicators
The reality of program cuts
Politicians and the academy
What the survey told us
In summary
Chapter 5: Changing the Message
The academy must adapt
The challenges we face
What an arts degree already offers
Expanding our curriculum
How other sectors benefit from arts education
The threat to theatre departments
Our training focus must shift
Recommendations for change
What the graduates in this study told us
In summary
Methodology
Introduction
Research framework
Research design
Sampling strategy
Data collection
Data analysis
Limitations and assumptions
Recommendations for future research
Appendix
Index
Biography
Melanie Dreyer-Lude is an American theatre artist/scholar, born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She specializes in international theater collaboration and multidisciplinary projects. She is a professor in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta and lives and work in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
