The MoralPLai project revolves around research-based theatre, making collaboration with professionals in the field essential. With this in mind, the Project Lead of MoralPLai, Dr. Franziska Poszler, reached out to Professor George Belliveau, a leading figure in this discipline. This connection led to an invitation to Vancouver, where Dr. Poszler conducted a workshop (18/02/2025), attended multiple meetings and explored potential future collaborations.
“Research-based theatre is this hybrid model of looking at data it could be personal stories narratives and thinking about how can that be brought to life using dramatic aesthetics and different forms.” George Belliveau, Excerpt from When Research Meets Theatre: A Conversation on Ridge.
Professor Belliveau specializes in Theatre Education where he integrates theatre as a form of research and artistic expression across multiple disciplines. He is an international leader in research-based theatre and has shared his performative approach to research in numerous countries around the world.
Engaging Workshop and Insightful Meetings at the University of British Columbia (UBC, Vancouver, Canada)
During her visit, Dr. Poszler led a workshop where participants engaged in a narrative coding exercise. Their valuable feedback provided fresh perspectives on integrating physical movement and different forms of language into the MoralPLai performance, with the aim of representing some of the identified societal implications and the distinction between humans and AI systems. Additionally, the Project Lead of the MoralPLai project had the chance to meet with faculty and research staff from the UBC academic community, including members of the Community Circle interested in AI ethics. These discussions opened doors to potential future collaborations, expanding the reach and impact of the MoralPLai project.
Dr. Franziska Poszler presenting the MoralPLai Project at a workshop for UBC’s Department of Language and Literacy Education, in collaboration with Dr. George Belliveau.
Learning from UBC’s Research and Artistic Initiatives
Beyond sharing insights on MoralPLai, Dr. Poszler also gained a deeper understanding of the research and academic initiatives at the University of British Columbia. A key highlight was learning about Professor Belliveau’s past and ongoing projects, such as Contact!Unload, which uses research-based theatre to address the trauma experienced by military veterans. This powerful initiative helps veterans navigate the challenging transition to civilian life by bringing their personal stories to the stage, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of arts-based research.
She also learned from Professor Susan Cox about their Rock the Boat play as a means to investigate and address challenges in graduate supervision. They have released a multimedia resource with open access, enabling external groups to facilitate discussions on graduate supervision dynamics in universities and their impact on the wellbeing of students and faculty. Dr. Poszler also met Christina Cook and Laen Hershler, who shared best practices for setting up research-based theatre workshops and projects, among other insights from the experience with their award-winning research-based theatre project Alone in the Ring.
Exploring A/r/tography and Arts-Based Research
The trip also provided an opportunity to explore the concept of A/r/tography, a dynamic form of arts-based research that fosters diverse and complex understandings of education and pedagogy. This approach challenges conventional learning and research methods, encouraging deep reflection and community-based artistic inquiry.
Downtown Vancouver
Expanding Impact and Visibility
Among other key meetings, Dr. Poszler had fruitful discussions with Dr. Jennica Nichols, who shared insights on impact assessments of research-based theatre initiatives and creative ways of including audience responses into the performance. By incorporating these recommendations, the project team aims to scale up its reach and effectiveness, ensuring a broader impact that extends beyond the academic, research, and artistic communities to include all stakeholders, industry and civil society.
Looking Ahead
This collaboration with Prof. Belliveau and the academic community at UBC has greatly enriched the MoralPLai project, bringing new perspectives and methodologies to its development. As the project continues to evolve, these insights and connections will play a crucial role in shaping its future, along with other research-based theatre projects and grant proposals that the MoralPLai research team plans to establish.
Special thanks to Professor George Belliveau for the warm welcome, to all workshop participants for their valuable feedback and to everyone who generously shared their expertise in group and one-on-one meetings.
Visit the MoralPLai Project webpage to learn more and stay tuned for updates!