Description
What is the relationship between democracy and playfulness? At a time when our cultural democracies are facing an existential crisis, with electoral authoritarian rule becoming far more normalised (Carethers & Press 2022), can participatory, playful and creative forms of citizen assemblies strengthen democratic resistance? This presentation examines the practice of Legislative Theatre, an artform originating in Brazil of the 1990s, that brings together community members, advocates and policymakers to identify and develop new legislation, as an experimental form of participatory democracy. I ask what role creative and imaginative play have in strengthening the deliberative, political process toward political action. Leaning on play theory and performance studies, this cross-disciplinary study stems from a disillusionment with institutional politics, and a pursuit of socially engaged theatre’s potential to contribute to activist movement building. Rather than focusing on the role of ‘political theatre’, I explore the concept of a creative, civic practice that becomes, itself, a direct process of organising, debating, and testing legislative proposals through theatre. This presentation includes a historical overview of Legislative theatre, its ripple effects internationally, its challenging practice and its role in questioning the importance (and risks) of play in current democratic processes.| Period | 3 Sept 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | The European Association for the Study of Theatre and Performance |
| Event type | Conference |
Keywords
- democracy
- theatre
- legislation