1. Between Migration and Neo-Nationalism(s): Performing the European Nation -- Playing a Foreigner
The recent rise of the political far right in Europe, including the Brexit movement in the UK, the Front National in France, and the autocracy in Russia, to name a few, positions theater and performance arts at the fore-front of cultural resistance and mediation. This project examines the role performance arts can play in seeking new methods to communicate the difficult nexus between migration and neo-nationalism. I will study the strategies used by five European theatre companies to negotiate the limitations imposed on their work by their state-generated funding while at the same time maintaining their artistic and political freedom. The only art form that must be experienced live, performance arts (including text based theatre and dance) carry strong traditions and means to provoke and challenge the authority of the state and its politics. Not only did nationalism in the forms of its totalitarian systems and fascism mark the historical experience of the 20th century Europe, it also stimulated the escalation of theatrical traditions to respond and to resist its political and ideological practices
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: My research interests are in theatre and migration, nationalism, contemporary performance, dramaturgy, Europe of the late 20th century and today
Student roles:
My assistants will be closely involved in collecting data, such as theatre plays and productions related to the topic, research and annotating academic literature on making theatre with refugees, analysing theatre plays and productions that focus on migration, transcribing interviews, conceptualizing research questions and analyzing primary material. Students will research and annotate plays and productions related to this topic and add their comments to the online repository of materials: The Contra Archive of Border-Crossing: Performance, Migration, Nationalism.
Skills required:
My research assistant is expected to have advanced skills in reading and working with academic literature in the fields of cultural studies, sociology, literature or performance studies. My assistant needs to have English native or near native English language skills. We will be working on creating and editing a new online repository of plays, productions and academic sources related to performance and migration. Skills in building websites are an additional asset