Voice is an embodied practice through which we represent ourselves and our communities. It is simultaneously a tool – a tool of communication and expression; a practice – a social practice of meaning creation; and a site – a site of social and cultural identity. Voice is a much-used term in applied theatre practice because of its effectiveness to convey both a commitment to representation, and a process of promoting agency. However, what is often missing is a discussion of the embodied, sonorous and physical voice and why that voice also matters in applied theatre work: the ordinary speaking, singing, breathing voice. This talk will explore examples of my applied theatre practice where I explored the embodied voice in community settings, where vocal justice (challenging the vocal inequality in society) emerges through considering voice as a matter of representation and embodiment. 

Sarah Weston is a Lecturer in Applied Theatre at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research interests include voice, performance training and applied or socially engaged theatre practice. She additionally works as a community theatre artist. Her most recent publications explore contemporary community choruses (2024), and the politics of voice training (2019), and her forthcoming book is entitled Applied Theatre: Voice - performance and social justice (2025). She is Co-Editor of the journal Theatre Dance and Performance Training.