A case study submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2014 demonstrating the impact of the University's research.
The British Grotowski Project set out to reassess the work of the Polish theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski and his influence on British theatre.
For decades, Grotowski’s legacy has been hampered by a lack of textual and audio-visual materials, misconceptions about his oeuvre, and limited access to his ‘living tradition’. Led by Professor Paul Allain of the School of Arts, the British Grotowski Project sought to overcome these problems by creating a mixture of scholarly research, practical workshops, academic conferences and exhibitions.
The textual research helped to produce seminal writing, such as Grotowski’s Empty Room, edited by Professor Allain. Workshops focused on developing skills in body and voice work, understanding of ritual practices, and directorial montage. A photographic exhibition held at the National Theatre, London reached a broad public audience, and sessions for schoolteachers and pupils improved understanding of Grotowski’s work.
The project was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts. Professor Allain was also awarded a medal for Services to Polish Culture from the Polish government.
Dr Pablo Pakula and Dr Giuliano Campo, from the School of Arts, were also researchers involved in the project.
The Research Excellence Framework 2014 showed that Kent ranks 17th in the UK for research intensity, has world-leading research in all subjects and that 97% of our research is deemed to be of international quality.
Contributing to the University’s REF success were the number of our world class publications, the number of research active staff and the demonstrable impact our research has made to the sciences and to economic, social and cultural understanding.