Combining art and science in exploration of humanity and the universe: Teenagers’ storied experience of the universe played back in improvisational theatre in a learning context

This article explores and interprets how a Playback Theatre performance with the topic ‘Humanity and the Universe’ works as aesthetic pedagogical design in a project where art and science are combined in explorative learning for secondary school students. We analyse what Playback Theatre contributes to the research and development project SPACE ME, a project about humanity in the universe, which includes several different elements. Using the concepts ‘communication’ and ‘reception’ as analytical lenses, we interpret what this design can contribute to the learning processes of the students. As a conclusion regarding the pedagogical design, we suggest that in their responses, most of the students showed that the culture, the context, the social situation and the artistic communication in the Playback Theatre form had been meaningful to them.