My doctoral viva | Autoethnotheatre

In this video, I communicate my doctoral dissertation, in the creative format of autoethnotheatre, which explores how creativity can redefine sustainable tourism as a dynamic, iterative process—not just a collection of artistic outputs. By applying different creative methods at different stages of the research, my study shows how these approaches can solve problems, engage stakeholders, and enhance efficiency—all while connecting back to the psychology of creativity.

Key Themes:
🔹 Decentralizing Tourism: Shifting visitor flows from overcrowded cities to smaller towns & rural areas through creative tourism, fostering immersive, participatory experiences that boost local economies.
🔹 Challenges: Commercialization of culture, tokenization of creatives, misalignment between tourism & cultural sectors, and measuring creative performance in smaller cities.
🔸 Theoretical Lens: Using Henri Lefebvre’s theory of space production, I analyze how creativity shapes socio-spatial dynamics through methods like vision boards, creative asset mapping, and auto-ethnographic storytelling.

Video Structure:
🎭 PROLOGUE: A self-reflective meditation on my multiple positionalities, leading into imagined scenarios—"Welcome to the Defence Song" by the Master of Ceremonies.
🎬 ACT I - THE SET UP: The Planner of the Space introduces the research context, followed by a rupture revealing a key finding (Artist as Entertainer).
🌍 ACT II - USER EXPERIENCE IN REAL LIFE (UX IRL): A creative tourist’s lived experience, mapped through user journey storytelling. An artist as a highly mobile individual navigating artistic livelihood. A folk artist’s brief but powerful struggle shared with peers. Blending tradition with contemporary art for innovative tourism.
💬 ACT III - OPEN FORUM: Storytelling, interviews, and an interactive Q&A passage with the audience.

Why This Matters:
My research advocates for context-sensitive, adaptive, experimental policymaking that balances economic growth with social sustainability, emphasizing a human-centered approach to tourism development.