The Participatory Aesthetics of Applied Theatre through the Theory of John Dewey : Focusing on the historical development of Applied Theatre

Since the late 20th century, contemporary aesthetics has witnessed a fundamental rethinking of the nature and boundaries of art, with the rise of pluralism and participatory aesthetics. As Arthur Danto pointed out, art is no longer defined by single narrative or fixed aesthetic criteria, but has become an open field where its meaning expands according to social context, concepts, and audience interpretation. This shift has spurred a current of contemporary aesthetics that deconstructs the old paradigm of art’s autonomy and purity and focuses on how art intersects with social and political realities. In this process, John Dewey’s experiential aesthetics and Berleant’s participatory aesthetics provide theoretical support for the social practice and communal transformation of art by emphasizing that the experience of art is realized in the organic interaction between artist, work, audience, and environment, and that art and life are inseparable. This aesthetic shift has been embodied in audience participation, collective creation, and physical and process-oriented aesthetics in theatre. Moreover, Applied Theatre has become a prominent practice that emphasizes the educational, healing, and social roles of art and extends artistic experience into communal practice in diverse life contexts. By comprehensively examining the historical development and theoretical background of Applied Theatre, this study investigates the function and aesthetic implications of Applied Theatre as a contemporary theatre.