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Bodies and protest, Part I

This next set of two lectures examines how art making practices engage with social commentary and/or protest. From murals, to gatherings, to flash mobs, to sit ins, die-ins, to free-running, to styles of dancing as protest (such as krump or clowning). We will think about how bodies protest, what they protest against and the methods through which these protests occur.

This is the photo of a vertical collage of strips from different media. It shows a combination of photographs, drawings, paintings and text in black and white and colours. It includes human faces, a dog and some plants.

This week we will focus on protest through the body.

Task 8

Reading

Foster, Susan (2003). "Choreographies of Protest" Theatre Journal 55, pp. 395-412.

Read this text and answer the questions below.

1

Three moments in history

What are the three moments in history that Foster addresses in her text?

  1. The lunch counter sit-ins in the 1960s USA.
  2. The ACT UP die-ins in the 1980s in response to the AIDS epidemic.
  3. The 1999 WTO Protests in Seattle, Washington USA.
Check your answer

2

Protesting bodies

For each of the three moments, what were the bodies doing as acts of protest?

They were sitting quietly (at the lunch counters); They were "dying" (on streets and in buildings); They were taking over.Check your answer

3

The agency of the body

Why is the body an important agent protest according to Foster?

This photo shows a set of clay statues. A young black man and a woman are sitting on real chairs and resting their arms on a real counter next to a white woman and man. They are waiting to be served. Standing next to the black couple there are two white men, one of them smoking and the other with his arms folded. They are staring at them with defiant looks.

She states that the body has a central role in "enabling human beings to work together to create social betterment" (p. 397).Check your answer

Forum

Go to the discussion forum "Protest" and discuss the following questions before your lesson.

  • Why do you think it is important to protest?
  • What has been a recent worldwide protest? Explain the motives and the people involved.

Wall

Find on the internet an example of a dance piece or film or documentary that is about protest or features protesting and post one of his or her works on this wall. Make a note on your post about the work and its author. Be prepared to discuss and qualify your example.

Recommended Viewing

These are online documentaries (open in a new window) related to this topic.

Eyes on the Prize, Episode 3, "Aint Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961"(55:03). Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJF9Z9diegA

This Is What Democracy Looks Like (Seattle 1999 WTO). Documentary by Jill Freidberg and Rick Rowley (01:08:51). Available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBUZH2vCD_k