Putting participation on stage : Examining participatory theatre as an alternative site for political participation

Journal article


Chou, Mark, Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Pruitt, Lesley. (2015). Putting participation on stage : Examining participatory theatre as an alternative site for political participation. Policy Studies. 36(6), pp. 607 - 622. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2015.1095281
AuthorsChou, Mark, Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Pruitt, Lesley
Abstract

Participation, it has been said, is a central lynchpin of citizenship and democracy. Unfortunately, studies have shown for some time that political participation is on the decline in most Western democracies. Particularly for scholars and policy analysts who define political participation in democracy purely as voting, party membership or in terms of a narrow ‘arena’ definition of politics, the conclusion is clear: levels of political illiteracy are rising, while political participation is declining. Yet, the turn away from formal democratic politics and conventional forms of political participation is only one part of the picture. There is now an extensive literature suggesting a proliferation of new developments and alternative forms of political participation. But even as scholars have become more attuned to these new forms of political participation, the focus remains too narrow. Responding to Iris Marion Young's call to encourage alternative communicative forms in political participation, this article explores the capacity of participatory theatre to be an alternative site of political participation. By surveying three applications of participatory theatre, Jana Sanskriti, Journey of Asylum – Waiting and Betrayed – the article shows how theatre premised on spect-actors set against a communal backdrop can prefigure a more participatory political community.

Year2015
JournalPolicy Studies
Journal citation36 (6), pp. 607 - 622
ISSN0144-2872
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2015.1095281
Page range607 - 622
Research GroupSchool of Arts
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8v142/putting-participation-on-stage-examining-participatory-theatre-as-an-alternative-site-for-political-participation

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 107
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 3
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

The localist turn in populism studies
Chou, Mark, Moffitt, Benjamin and Busbridge, Rachel. (2022). The localist turn in populism studies. Swiss Political Science Review. 28(1), pp. 129-141. https://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12490
Too young to run? Young political candidates and the 2020 Victorian local government elections
Chou, Mark, Pruitt, Lesley and Dean, Luke. (2021). Too young to run? Young political candidates and the 2020 Victorian local government elections. Australian Journal of Political Science. 56(4), pp. 428-444. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2021.1998345
Australian local governments and climate emergency declarations : Reviewing local government practice
Chou, Mark. (2021). Australian local governments and climate emergency declarations : Reviewing local government practice. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 80(3), pp. 613-623. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12451
How local governments govern culture war conflicts
Chou, Mark and Busbridge, Rachel. (2020). How local governments govern culture war conflicts Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867825
Political meritocracy and populism : Cure or curse?
Chou, Mark, Moffitt, Benjamin and Bryant, Octavia. (2020). Political meritocracy and populism : Cure or curse Routledge.
Culture wars and city politics, revisited: Local councils and the Australia Day controversy
Busbridge, Rachel and Chou, Mark. (2020). Culture wars and city politics, revisited: Local councils and the Australia Day controversy. Urban Affairs Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087420945034
Different levels of government, different levels of political competence?
Chou, Mark. (2019). Different levels of government, different levels of political competence? Political Science and Politics. 52(2), pp. 256-260. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096518001798
Culture wars, local government, and the Australia Day controversy: Insights from urban politics research
Chou, Mark and Busbridge, Rachel. (2019). Culture wars, local government, and the Australia Day controversy: Insights from urban politics research. Urban Policy and Research. 37(3), pp. 367 - 377. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2019.1631786
Democracy
Chou, Mark. (2018). Democracy. In In R. Bleiker (Ed.). Visual Global Politics pp. 88 - 93 Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315856506
Combatting voter ignorance: A vertical model of epistocratic voting
Chou, Mark. (2017). Combatting voter ignorance: A vertical model of epistocratic voting. Policy Studies. 38(6), pp. 589 - 603. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2017.1384544
The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia
Chou, Mark, Pan, Chengxin and Poole, Avery. (2017). The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia. Contemporary Politics. 23(2), pp. 175 - 194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2016.1187468
Have the black knights arisen? China's and Russia's support of autocratic regimes
Chou, Mark. (2017). Have the black knights arisen? China's and Russia's support of autocratic regimes. Democratization. 24(1), pp. 175 - 184. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2015.1124089
The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia
Chou, Mark, Pan, Chengxin and Poole, Avery. (2017). The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia. Contemporary Politics. 23(2), pp. 175 - 194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2016.1187468
Elections and theater
Chou, Mark Fei-chun, Bleiker, Roland and Premaratna, Nilanjana. (2016). Elections and theater. Political Science and Politics. 49(1), pp. 43 - 47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096515001225
The rise of China and the decline of democracy in Australia?
Chou, Mark. (2015). The rise of China and the decline of democracy in Australia? Australian Journal of International Affairs. 69(6), pp. 637 - 644. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2015.1081146
Democracy's story ... 250 years on
Chou, Mark. (2015). Democracy's story ... 250 years on. Australian Journal of Political Science. 50(2), pp. 365 - 379. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2015.1037824
Theories of world affairs
Chou, Mark and Poole, Avery Dorothy Howard. (2015). Theories of world affairs. In In Kavalski, Emilian (Ed.). Encounters with World Affairs: An Introduction to International Relations pp. 37 - 61 Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Editorial: Non-western theories of democracy
Chou, Mark and Beausoleil, Emily. (2015). Editorial: Non-western theories of democracy. Democratic Theory. 2(2), pp. 1 - 7. https://doi.org/10.3167/dt.2015.020201
From crisis to crisis : Democracy, crisis and the occupy movement
Chou, Mark. (2015). From crisis to crisis : Democracy, crisis and the occupy movement. Political Studies Review. 13(1), pp. 46 - 58. https://doi.org/10.1111/1478-9302.12070
Projections of China's normative soft power
Chou, Mark. (2015). Projections of China's normative soft power. Australian Journal of International Affairs. 69(1), pp. 104 - 114. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2014.952706
Democracy against itself: Sustaining an unsustainable idea
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2014). Democracy against itself: Sustaining an unsustainable idea Edinburgh University Press.
Democrats against democracy
Chou, Mark. (2014). Democrats against democracy. Cultural Politics. 10(2), pp. 163 - 181. https://doi.org/10.1215/17432197-2651756
Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2013). Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137298690
Evolutionary Basic Democracy: A Critical Overture
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2013). Evolutionary Basic Democracy: A Critical Overture Palgrave Macmillan.
Democracy's not for me: The Lowy Institute polls on Gen Y and democracy
Chou, Mark. (2013). Democracy's not for me: The Lowy Institute polls on Gen Y and democracy. Australian Journal of Political Science. 48(4), pp. 485 - 494. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2013.841844
Betrayed by democracy: Verbatim theater as prefigurative politics
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2013). Betrayed by democracy: Verbatim theater as prefigurative politics. In In N S Love and M Mattern (Ed.). Doing democracy: Activist art and cultural politics pp. 231 - 255 SUNY Press.
The Subject of Analysis: Global Cities and International Relations
Chou, Mark. (2012). The Subject of Analysis: Global Cities and International Relations. Global Change, Peace and Security. 24(2), pp. 305 - 307. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2012.681199
An Intervention on 'democracy' as a term in empirical political analysis
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2012). An Intervention on 'democracy' as a term in empirical political analysis. Public Administration and Policy: a Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific journal. 15(2), pp. 68 - 92.
Huron Socialism: a new political system
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2012). Huron Socialism: a new political system. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Scholarship. 8(2), pp. 115 - 127.
Post-Colonial Public Law: Are current legal establishments democratically illegitimate?
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2012). Post-Colonial Public Law: Are current legal establishments democratically illegitimate? African Journal of Legal Studies. 5(1), pp. 21 - 43. https://doi.org/10.1163/170873812X626081
Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy
Chou, Mark. (2012). Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy Bloomsbury Publishing.
The Taliban did not Create the Taliban, Imperialism Did
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2012). The Taliban did not Create the Taliban, Imperialism Did. Journal of South Asian Development. 7(1), pp. 23 - 42. https://doi.org/10.1177/097317411200700102
Constituted to Fail: dissecting and celebrating democratic failure
Chou, Mark. (2012). Constituted to Fail: dissecting and celebrating democratic failure. Social Alternatives. 31(1), pp. 39 - 44.
Sowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic and Beyond
Chou, Mark. (2012). Sowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic and Beyond. Theoria. 59(133), pp. 21 - 49. https://doi.org/10.3167/th.2012.5913302
A Potential Demarcation Between 'Old' and 'New' Democratic Theory
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2011). A Potential Demarcation Between 'Old' and 'New' Democratic Theory. Social Alternatives. 30(3), pp. 5 - 9.
China's Naval Policy Off The Coast Of Somalia International Participation, the Preservation of Strategic Interests, or Security?
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2011). China's Naval Policy Off The Coast Of Somalia International Participation, the Preservation of Strategic Interests, or Security? Journal of Global Analysis. 2(2), pp. 31 - 47.
When Democracies Fail
Chou, Mark. (2011). When Democracies Fail. Political Studies Review. 9(3), pp. 344 - 356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00237.x
Establishing Indigeneity in African Pluralities using PRO169 Parameters and a Case Study for Measuring their Inclusivity
Gagnon, Jean-Paul. (2011). Establishing Indigeneity in African Pluralities using PRO169 Parameters and a Case Study for Measuring their Inclusivity. African and Asian Studies. 10(4), pp. 323 - 346. https://doi.org/10.1163/156921011X605580
`We like them bitches on the chessboard':Tragedy, Politics and The Wire
Chou, Mark. (2011). `We like them bitches on the chessboard':Tragedy, Politics and The Wire. C Theory. tbc015, pp. 1 - 1.
Theorising China's international relations
Chou, Mark. (2011). Theorising China's international relations. Australian Review of Public Affairs.
Morgenthau, the tragic :On tragedy and the transition from scientific man to politics among nations
Chou, Mark. (2011). Morgenthau, the tragic :On tragedy and the transition from scientific man to politics among nations. Telos. 2011(157), pp. 109 - 128. https://doi.org/10.3817/1211157109
Postmodern dramaturgy, premodern drama: The global resurgence of Greek Tragedy today
Chou, Mark. (2011). Postmodern dramaturgy, premodern drama: The global resurgence of Greek Tragedy today. Journal for Cultural Research. 15(2), pp. 131 - 152. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2011.574053
Democracy in an age of tragedy: Democracy, tragedy and paradox
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2010). Democracy in an age of tragedy: Democracy, tragedy and paradox. Critical Horizons. 11(2), pp. 289 - 313. https://doi.org/10.1558/crit.v11i2.289
Nietzsche's Style: On Language, Knowledge and Power in International Relations
Bleiker, Roland and Chou, Mark. (2010). Nietzsche's Style: On Language, Knowledge and Power in International Relations. In In Cerwyn Moore and Chris Farrands (Ed.). pp. 8 - 19 Routledge.
Dramatizing war: George Packer and the democratic potential of Verbatim Theater
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2010). Dramatizing war: George Packer and the democratic potential of Verbatim Theater. New Political Science. 32(4), pp. 561 - 574. https://doi.org/10.1080/07393148.2010.520441
Antigone in Belfast: Staging Violence, Conflict and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland
Chou, Mark. (2010). Antigone in Belfast: Staging Violence, Conflict and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. In/Stead.
The Symbiosis of Democracy and Tragedy: Lost Lessons from Ancient Greece
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2009). The Symbiosis of Democracy and Tragedy: Lost Lessons from Ancient Greece. Millennium-Journal of International Studies.
From page to stage: What emerges 'in between' politics and art in George Packer's betrayed
Chou, Mark. (2009). From page to stage: What emerges 'in between' politics and art in George Packer's betrayed. Borderlands E-Journal: new spaces in the humanities. 8(3), pp. 1 - 10.