Heini Granberg

Research Summary: My artistic research explores how to design engaging performance scenography for young children in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences. This study aims to provide insight how scenography plays an important role in the field of performing arts for young children as many practitioners have recognized that young children relate to the performance in a holistic and multi-sensorial way. Similarly, current studies on scenography state that scenography creates a fundamental and multi-sensorial base for performance and cannot be separated from the overall vision of a performance. However, only few studies have investigated young children’s scenographic experiences and engagement through scenographic media. This practice-based study has sensory ethnographic, embodied and child-centered approach to support collaborative work method between young children and scenographer in the two practice-based phases of research. Through the theoretical frame of play I discuss the touching points of the performance art, scenographic media and young children’s view to the world (Huizinga 1938, Caillois 1958, Howard & McInnes 2013). Thus, this study seeks through practice, how scenographer can gain broader understanding of young children’s view to the world and engagement with the performance through collaborative work method with children.

Biography: Heini Granberg is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Film, Television and Scenography, Aalto University ARTS in Finland. Her doctoral thesis explores how to engage young children with scenography and costume in the field of performing arts. Heini holds MA in Scenography from Aalto University and has studied Drama Education in Open University of the JYU, Finland and Clothing Design in HAMK, Finland. Since 2001, Heini has worked widely in the fields of performing arts, film and television in Finland designing sets and costumes. She lectures on scenography and costume in different educational levels in Finland and supervises and teaches BA and MA students in Aalto University. During her career Heini has worked in various productions with/ for children and youth and also holds art-based workshops for babies and young children. In addition to the Theatre for Young Audiences, Heini’s research interests relate to the multi-sensory and embodied scenography practices.

Supervising Professor: Sofia Pantouvaki

Thesis Advisors: Sofia Pantouvaki, Eeva Anttila (external)

“Chasing a Story” performance, an artistic component of the dissertation.