Applied Theatre and Performance in Digital Populist Contexts

Rowe, Cami (2024) Applied Theatre and Performance in Digital Populist Contexts. In: The Performativity of Politics in Digital Media, Arts and Culture, 2024-10-16 - 2024-10-19, University of the Arts Belgrade.

Abstract

This paper applies a performance-oriented lens to political interaction in digitally-mediated populist contexts. Through a fusion of Applied Theatre and Political theory, the paper reveals that performance analysis produces new insights about the operation of populism in practice. The paper draws on recent examples of populist politics from the United States and United Kingdom, demonstrating that political performativity alters in significant ways when conducted primarily through social media platforms. The application of theatre and performance theories enables a view of online populist interaction as an ongoing improvisational, publicly-engaged, performative phenomenon; taking this approach, it becomes apparent that digitally-mediated populism is almost inevitably marked by antagonism and exclusion of outsiders. This dynamic holds true even in leftist-oriented populist movements, which otherwise aim to foster respectful engagement, diversity and inclusiveness. As a counterpoint to the divisive nature of digital populist performance, I suggest that Applied Theatre practices possess the capacity to engender genuine celebrations of difference and debate. I show that applied practices that emphasize embodied experiences are particularly adept at answering the challenge presented by populist-oriented political environments. With reference to the author’s own Applied performance practices, the paper argues that the future development of digitally-mediated democratic political platforms could be effectively informed by the discipline of Applied Theatre.