Dr Jo Ronan
Dr Jo Ronan is the originator of Dialectical Collaborative Theatre (DCT), a research/production/performance methodology developed to interrupt hegemonic hierarchical collaborative theatre practice. She formed the collective BloodWater Theatre (2012) to explore the tensions between performance as product and process, producing/performing work at the Tron and the CCA in Glasgow. She applies DCT in her current role as Interim Programme Lead in Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Jo was Associate Director with 7:84 (Scotland) directing its final production, Eclipse (2008) by Haresh Sharma which toured Scotland and Singapore. Other directing credits for the company include The Algebra of Freedom by Raman Mundair, inspired by the police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at a London Underground Station in 2005 and Re: Union by McCartney, Sharma, Dimitrevic and McClean, a series of short plays marking the 300th anniversary of the 1707 Act of Union (2007). Jo cofounded The Necessary Stage in Singapore in 1987 working with the company till 1995 when she settled in Scotland.
Jo is committed to pedagogical innovations at further and higher education, leading performance programmes at Coatbridge College (1998-2005) and the University of the West of Scotland (2007-2020). She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has maintained her General Teaching Council registration since 1995. She was an External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Theatre and Professional Practice, at the University of Bedfordshire and is currently the External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre Practice at the Guilford School of Acting (University of Surrey).
Jo has delivered keynote addresses at Acta’s Annual Community Theatre and the University of Exeter’s Postgraduate Conferences. She has presented her research on DCT, participatory performance, devising, ethics and ideology in performance-making at numerous conferences. Her recent publications include, ‘The Future: A Reflection’ in Be the Change: Learning and Teaching for the Creative Industries (Ed. McNamara, A), New York Nova Publishing (2022), ‘Politicized Identity: Developing a Dialectical Relationship between Disability and Ability’ In Whitfield, P. (ed.) Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity, New York, Routledge (2022) and ‘Dialectical Collaborative Theatre: Practising equality by facilitating non-material Ideology in the production process’ Performing Ethos: International Journal of Ethics in Theatre & Performance, volume 10, number 1, UK, Intellect (2022).