My Utopia : how can a safe space give me artistic freedom as an actor with a minority background?
Pysyvä osoite
Verkkojulkaisu
Tiivistelmä
In this thesis, I examine how I, as an actor with a minority background, can find artistic
freedom within white and Eurocentric theatre institutions. Through reflections on my
education, professional experiences, and theories of safe space and brave space, I
analyze how structures, pedagogy, and expectations shape the possibility for creating
free art. A central question is how institutions can facilitate environments where
minority artists feel safe, heard, and able to express themselves without fear.
The thesis compares a traditional Western bachelor’s program with little diversity or
structural awareness to a more international and reflective master’s program that still
carries elements of embedded structural racism. Through case studies such as the
Sensitive Power Border Course, Våldets historia, and courses in decolonial theatre
practice, I show how lack of communication, lack of understanding of racism, and
insufficient structural support weaken artistic freedom and how an experience of safety
and artistic freedom can be facilitated and supported. Interviews with artists and
dramaturgs with minority backgrounds further emphasize the need for representation,
institutional responsibility, and a shared understanding of safer space.
I conclude that safer space cannot be created by minorities alone; the responsibility lies
with the institutions and authorities who hold the power to shape structures and
environments. Artistic freedom arises when I am able to work in places that recognize
me as I am, challenge Eurocentric norms, and create room for physical and creative
expression without reducing me to stereotypes. My utopia is a space where I can be
myself, be seen, feel safe, and be free to create art on my own terms.