Performance, Resistance and Refugees

This book explores the politics and aesthetics of migration control, border security, and refugee resistance from an Australian perspective, using performance as both an object and a lens. The first half examines performance objects such as verbatim and documentary plays, children's theater, immersive performance, slam poetry, video art, and feature films, while the second half analyzes the wider field of refugee politics. It draws on various disciplines and will be of interest to students and scholars in theater and performance studies, cultural studies, border studies, and forced migration studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book provides a distinctive Australian lens on the global refugee protection crisis, delving into the intricate politics and aesthetics of migration control, border security, and refugee resistance. Through the lens of performance, it explores a wide range of performance objects, including verbatim and documentary plays, children's theatre, immersive performances, slam poetry, video art, and feature films. The first half, titled "On Stage," examines how refugees and their artistic collaborators use performance to assert their individuality, agency, and authority, as well as their resistance to cruel policies such as offshore processing. It explores how these performances create spaces for dialogue, healing, and empowerment, challenging dominant narratives and fostering a deeper understanding of the refugee experience.

The second half, titled "Off Stage," employs performance as a lens to analyze the broader field of refugee politics. It explores the relationship between forced migrants and the forced displacement of First Nations peoples, underpinning the settler-colonial state. It also examines philosophies of cosmopolitanism, the role of the canon in art history, and the spectacle of bordering practices. Through this analysis, the book illuminates the strategic performativity and nonperformativity of law, philosophy, the state, and the academy in the exclusion and control of refugees.

Taken together, the chapters in this volume draw on and contribute to a diverse range of disciplines, including theatre and performance studies, cultural studies, border studies, and forced migration studies. It offers valuable insights to students and scholars across these fields, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities facing refugees worldwide.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 233 x 156 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367696696