DRA7013
Performance, Activism, Social Justice
Level 7 (30 credits)
This module explores how performance contributes to social justice, especially through activism. It examines: activist movements, such as Black Lives Matter, Extinction Rebellion, and activism for indigenous rights; activist practices and actions, spanning pacifism and violence, and including occupations, events like carnivals, and performances such as verbatim theatre; and intersecting theories of activism, social justice, and performance, such as Augusto Boal's Poetics of the Oppressed, Judith Butler's theory of assembly, and Christina Sharpe's theory of wake-work, drawing on wider literatures in, for example, critical race theory, environmental humanities, queer theory, law, and disability rights. The module focuses on the present but explores historical roots, such as the Diggers and Levellers of the English Civil War, South African Township Theatre, women's suffrage movements, struggles for abolition and decolonisation, and activism in relation to disability, AIDS, and more. It explores arguments for activism's benefits but also its limits. It considers how performance studies can help us better understand - and potentially practise - activism for social justice, and how performance might particularly contribute to action for social change.
Preparing for this module and approximate costs:
All the reading material is provided digitally. There are no costs associated with the module as such, but we might recommend a few performances happening in London during the course of the module. If they are mandatory, tickets will be purchased for you by the Department.
There is some content covered on the programme that you may find challenging and sensitive. We do not issue content notes for individual texts (written, performance, visual, sonic etc.), but please do contact your module tutor and/or convenor and/or adviser if you have concerns or problems relating any of the content, themes or discussions.
Programme |
|
Learning Context |
Seminar-based |
Semester |
Semester 2 |
Assessment |
1. Presentation (8 minutes) 20% 2. Essay (3500 words) 80% |
Contact |
|
School of English and Drama, Queen Mary University of London
Contact: sed-information@qmul.ac.uk
Last updated on 21 Aug 2024 by Richard Coulton
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