A tableau is a dramatic scene, picture or ‘still image’ created by people using their bodies. Tableaux can be created with any number of people, from individuals to large groups. When creating a tableau participants need to think about what image they will create, where they will positon themselves and what they will do with their bodies and expressions. Creating a tableau prompts participants to consider their thoughts and feelings about the subject matter, and work with others to formulate a still image.

This presentation will provide an overview of dramatic tableau as a data collection method for the research and evaluation of programs that have an arts component. An explanation of dramatic tableaux will be provided, with examples of how it has been used in research and evaluation work in two different programs (arts in cancer care and arts in remote schools programs) with a diverse range of participants the Northern Territory of Australia.

Drawing on existing literature and practice experience, a model for using dramatic tableaux as a data collection method will be presented along with thoughts about the kind of data that can generated and how this can be analysed. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of when, how, and with whom, dramatic tableaux might best be used as a research and evaluation tool.