«Kalevala—Unwritten Fragments» by Teatr Węgajty / Field Project: Trevor Hill’s Autoethnographic Narration
Trevor Hill
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8691-2956
Magdalena Hasiuk
mahas@o2.plInstitute of Art, Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2736-5256
Abstract
The text discusses the performance Kalevala The Unwritten Fragments of the Węgajty Theatre / Field Project, which in 2000/2001 opened a new phase in the theatre’s activity. The performance continued the thematic, aesthetic, and method choices of the Węgajty Village Theatre, while also opening new paths of exploration. The group’s work was particularly transformed, and a new quality was brought into its accompanying reflection, by the presence of the actor and anthropologist Trevor Hill. The analysis of Hill’s autoethnographic description of their work on Kalevala allows us to distinguish three dimensions of autoethnography: as an innovative technique of obtaining information, as a research method (analytical autoethnography), and as an indicator of a new paradigm of producing knowledge about social life and its participants (evocative autoethnography).The use of the autoethnographic method in research on the Węgajty Theatre made it possible to access information that is otherwise difficult to obtain, including the actor’s experiences and internal processes.
Keywords:
Węgajty Theatre, «Kalevala», epic poem staging, improvisation, collective creation, autoethnographic research in theatreReferences
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Authors
Trevor HillUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8691-2956
Trevor Hill - holds a degree in Theatre Studies/English Language from the University of Glasgow and Master’s degrees in Social Anthropology from Queen’s University of Belfast and Edinburgh University. He worked with Teatr Węgajty as part of their Field Project and subsequently moved to Poland. He currently works at the Department of English Language Literatures and Cultures at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland where he where he teaches English and theatre techniques for trainee ESL teachers.
Authors
Magdalena Hasiukmahas@o2.pl
Institute of Art, Polish Academy of Sciences Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2736-5256
Magdalena Hasiuk - Assistant Professor at the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 2018–2024, she and her team conducted research on the Węgajty Theatre. Her research interests include the history of drama and theatre from the perspective of cultural anthropology, socially engaged theatre (with a special focus on theatre work in prisons and theatrical work by artists with disabilities), and 20th century theatre laboratories.
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