The Performative Turn: Performance and Live Art since 1945

This course provides a detailed examination of performance theory and practice from 1945 to the present day. The course is structured as a series of two-hour seminars, one of which will take the form of a practical workshop led by a professional performer. The seminars will focus each week on different themes, including gender and sexuality, critical race theory, class identity, disability, and the posthuman. This course provides a detailed examination of performance theory and practice from 1945 to the present day. Through analysis of visual, filmed and written material, students will connect aesthetic analysis to relevant social and historical context throughout the period surveyed. The course will equip students with an in-depth understanding of the evolution of transgressive performance while illuminating intersections with important theoretical discussions, including cultural appropriation, feminist criticism, and queer theory. This course thus offers a wide-ranging exploration of the radical potential of live performance. Credit Level: 10 Year taken: Year 4 Undergraduate

Not running in 2025/26