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Conflictual sociability? A paradoxical approach to politicized street theatre
- Source: Art & the Public Sphere, Volume 10, Issue Politicizing Artistic Pedagogies: Publics, Spaces, Teachings, Nov 2021, p. 165 - 173
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- 29 Jun 2021
- 26 Aug 2021
- 01 Nov 2021
Abstract
In Agonistics (2013), Chantal Mouffe highlights sociability and notes its potential for artists in devising agonistic counter-hegemonic performances. However, sociability as an isolated factor is unlikely to produce politicized dissent. Instead, therefore, a politicized form of conflictual sociability is created by applying Mouffe’s notion of a ‘conflictual consensus’ (an agreement between opponents to disagree) to art practice. By applying paradoxical thinking to the performance of dissent in the public realm, the article argues for sociability in service of politicized critique. The potential of conflictual sociability is examined through guerrilla street theatre performances, an artform with the capacity to generate unauthorized and participatory incursions into the urban public realm. Firstly, via autoethnographic reflections upon a practice-based research project, The Wizard of Oz (2015) performed in London, United Kingdom; and secondly, in analysis of Dread Scott’s Money to Burn (2010) performance in Wall Street, New York, United States. Conflictual sociability offers a novel methods-led process of engaging agonistically with passers-by (publics) and transforming them into activated participants. Because it is engaging, conflictual sociability creates spaces of public dialogue that antagonistic conflict potentially shuts down. This reveals an effective pedagogy for facilitating agonistic politicized dissent through performative practices in the public realm.
Funding
- studentship from Loughborough University, a Higher Education Innovation Fund HEIF grant from the Enterprise Projects Group at Loughborough University and a street arts performance commission from Derby Festé.