New Chapter Publication
Kathleen Gallagher and Christine Balt’s new chapter, Against Righteousness: Finding Activism Through Drama Pedagogies, explores how drama can create meaningful pathways to activism for young people in public education. Challenging the binary of political righteousness and apathy, the chapter argues that drama pedagogy offers a relational and creative space where curiosity, ambiguity, and feeling can help young people engage with activism in more inclusive and accessible ways.
Drawing on empirical research in a Toronto high school, Gallagher and Balt examine how drama-based practices supported students in exploring local histories, environmental questions, and Canada’s settler-colonial legacies. The chapter highlights how creative encounters with everyday places and spaces can foster political awareness and agency, opening new possibilities for activist learning.
By foregrounding wonder, curiosity, and collective exploration, this publication contributes to important conversations about youth civic engagement, drama pedagogy, and the role of arts-based learning in shaping democratic participation.