This document outlines Susan Davis's keynote presentation titled "The Dramatic Traveler's Journal: Legacies and Illuminations". The presentation discusses the reasons why people travel and do drama, drawing from Davis's experiences traveling internationally and the influential work of drama educator Dorothy Heathcote. It summarizes different locations Davis has visited, the people and ideas she encountered, and how these experiences illuminated concepts in drama education and our shared humanity.

1. THE DRAMATIC
TRAVELER’S
JOURNAL:
LEGACIES &
ILLUMINATIONS
Dr Susan Davis
s.davis@cqu.edu.au

2. WHY DO WE
TRAVEL?
WHY DO WE
DO DRAMA?

3. 2. THE BEGINNING?

5. 3. IRISH CALLINGS

6. DOROTHY
HEATHCOTE
1926-2011

7.  Involve different groups or classes in
building a community that then faces
some kind of change.
 The initiators create a common
context and agree to the key features,
affairs and concerns of the community.
 The students/children are then
involved in building the community, the
lives, events and artefacts of it and add to
developments.
ROLLING ROLL – WHAT IS IT?
S E E ‘ C O N T E X T S F O R A C T I V E L E A R N I N G : F O U R M O D E L S ’
B Y D O R O T H Y H E A T H C O T E
 Work is often left incomplete so
another group can take it forward and
continue the drama.
 Work produced by classes if
publicly open and available to stimulate
other work.
 Heathcote suggested this work
lends it self to sharing through
something like a website.

8. 4. ROLLING IN SUNSHINE

9. How do people cope in times of water crisis?
Why is water so important to our lives
and cultures?
WATER
COLLABORATION

10. MONTO 2013

11. LEARNING THAT MATTERS

12. +
The Water Reckoning
www.water-reckoning.net
Jason
deCaires
Taylor
imagery

14. 5. MEETINGS WITH GIANTS,
LONDON

15. Gavin Bolton Cecily O’Neill & Pam Bowell
David Booth
John O’Toole

16. John O’Toole as Dr Phil

17. 6. IDEA -
PARISIAN
STYLE

18. Some Queenslanders in Paris

19. ARIANE MNOUCHKINE

20. 7. A PILGRIMAGE,
DIDSBURY, MANCHESTER
(HEATHCOTE ARCHIVES)

23. 8. OBJECT LESSONS

25. 9. A REMEDY FROM THE
DOCTOR

27. Dr Lister

28. 10.
FINNISH
LESSONS

29. WHAT THEY FORGET TO TELL YOU
ABOUT FINNISH SCHOOLING
No blame
A culture of trust and respect
This extends to the students as well
No uniforms, bags inside
Focus is on learning not compliance

30. 11. RESILIENCE & SISU

31. 12. CZECH IN & CHECK OUT

32. CULTURE SURVIVES!

33. 13. COLOUR IN PRAGUE

34. 14. HOME
Why do we travel?
Why do we do drama?
Because we are human …
Because we have to …
And because, for many of us, quite simply …
Because we must.

35. Credits:
Dramatic traveller portraits: Alain Bouvier Photography, Eumundi
Other photos: Sue Davis
Suitcase courtesy of: Where ya bin, Eumundi
Thank you
Drama Queensland and the drama education community for the invitation to
present this keynote and for a lifetime of inspiration.
John Rainer and the Heathcote Archives, Manchester Metropolitan University
Sean Lubbers for that early morning text chat and encouragement to totally
embrace my dramatic traveller identity!