Jonas Vanderschueren (Universiteit Gent)
For two centuries now there has been an acceleration of mobility, proximity and exchange (of information, goods and people). With the development of digital technology and new network technologies exploiting those capabilities, these characteristics have entered a new phase of development in which they are radicalizing beyond anything imaginable in the previous two centuries. Yet thanks to the prevailing global power dynamics they are today exacerbating existing inequalities and fueling the creation of new ones, turning access to global mobility into a major source of inequality: the difference between a banker flying from New York to Frankfurt on a weekly basis and a Syrian refugee fleeing war is stark.
This raises the question of how theatre, both as an art form and as an institution, can relate to society. What do we show to whom, and why?
In this lecture I propose a radical direction, in which we attempt to create an emancipatory space within existing theatre institutions as a first step to create more solidarity within the theatre field. How can theatre contribute to a (radical) emancipation out of inequality and (symbolic) violence? How can we use the reproductive force of theatre as a way to challenge dominant narratives striving for hegemony, and use it instead to create a polyphonic space where alternative narratives can flourish. Through its social nature, theatre is one of the most political of the arts: therefore it is essential to think about how that political power can be used to contribute to the struggle for a more democratic, a more equal, and a fundamentally more emancipated society.