DC+CMI

This workshop introduces students to the broad notion of performance: from that of the arts (dance, theatre, visual arts, poetry, music etc.) and sports, to religious and secular rituals, social interactions, and self-presentation in everyday life. The interdisciplinary field of performance studies, connected with relevant fields from social sciences, highlights performance as an object of research, and at the same time as an analytical and creative tool. We examine the main anthropological analyses of performance, and we explore a spectrum of ethnographic methods, their potential use as performative material, and the related ethical, political, and deontological issues. At the same time, we trace the ‘beginnings’ of performance art: from the avant-garde of the early 20th century to the artistic ‘happenings’ of the ’60s. On the practical level, the workshop offers a series of exercises around connecting speech with the voice and the body, with a particular emphasis on oral narratives. Students are asked to link the research process and critical thinking with the composition and presentation of individual narrative works and group/collective performances.

Syllabus