Cirrus@Austlit

'How we reach, engage with, and inform/transform our research audience depends on the medium of communication we employ. This article demonstrates that theatrically performed narrative data can humanise an audience’s engagement and response to research data and encourage personal change. In particular, it discusses how verbatim theatre was used to share the stories of women casual academics in Australia, and describes an emotional, fully embodied, and humanistic response from the audience. The reaction of the audience, a professional gathering of scholars (Denzin 2000), reveals that the dramatic re-presentation of narrative data can act as a voice for Others ‘yet to be voiced’ (Arnot and Reay 2007) and prompt reflection, and the possibility of personal change. Therefore, if the communication medium we employ is integral to the reach and impact of our research, it should be central to our research planning and practice and not consigned to a post-research dissemination phase.' (Introduction)