Drama in aesthetic education: An invitation to imagine the world as if it could be otherwise

Secret History remained an important point of reference throughout the semester. The worlds of the refugees had become part of our knowing. We had heard their stories of what it means to be a refugee, to be "other." We had become acutely aware of the positions of "insider" and "outsider" and the atrocities that go unnoticed in our everyday and busy lives. We had been made acutely aware of the need to teach for social justice. Chong's drama had accomplished its purposes. It was both a work of art and a catalyst to social change. Chong's intent in creating this drama was to have us take notice and to "change, look with new eyes, hear witli new ears, become something we have not been before."28 The process began with the experiential class, which not only prepared our minds but also our bodies and imaginations. Our recognition of the need for change in our immediate and extended worlds was at more than a cognitive level; it was also at an experiential level. Through our participation in the experiential class, we had gained some understanding of what it takes to act in front of others; we could not even imagine what it takes to tell your own story when it is such a painful one. In future, we would look at the immigrant, whether child or adult, through a new lens of empathy and appreciation; we would be moved to action. Based on excerpts from student responses and comments made in class discussion after the integration of the aesthetic education component and throughout the remainder of the course, I have concluded that drama, as experienced within the context of the LCI aesthetic education experience of inquiry-driven engagement with a work of art, does bring about changes in our thinking and practices. It brings us from our own individual perspectives of the world to those of others. It leads us to look at ourselves critically and nurtures and increases our empathy for others. It broadens our horizons, brings us to understand the place of "other" in our society, and invites us to imagine things "as if they could be otherwise."29 Aesthetic education challenges our thinking, beliefs, attitudes, and practices; it moves us to teach for equity and social justice.