Composition as a tool for diverse and inclusive theatre-making

This article presents examples of how composition practices can foster more plural and diverse creative processes in the performing arts. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Marianne Van Kerkhoven, Petra Kuppers, Fernanda Eugênio and João Fiadeiro, Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, we define and analyse these notions in connection with the creative process of the Quebec-based artistic collective Bureau de l’APA, based on both participant and non-participant observation and interviews. By integrating theory and practice, the article highlights how these examples of the use of composition foster openness, attentive listening and flexibility, framing creative processes as territories of multiplicity – inhabited by inventive, bricoleur artists who operate across boundaries and disciplines.