An Exploration of The Foundational Concepts of Afro-surrealism: As a Psychosocial Phenomenon in Theatrical and Non-Theatrical Spaces
Pysyvä osoite
Verkkojulkaisu
Tiivistelmä
This thesis is an attempt to create the foundational groundwork for the performance theory of Afro-surrealism. Afro-surrealism is a new artistic movement spanning across different mediums. As a result of this recency the information on Afro-surrealism is scarce in comparison to other artistic movements. This scarcity of information is particularly acute when the concepts of Afro-surrealism interact with the theatre. This essay will attempt to mend these issues within the field. I am an Afro-surrealist, and this theoretical framework has informed my craft and was critical to my practical thesis. As a result, I will attempt to provide well-researched clarity to the artform by outlining its historical connection to surrealism but emphasizing the points where Afro-surrealism deviates. It is important to note that Afro-surrealism is not a subgenre of surrealism but its own artistic movement. The connections to surrealism are both to contextualize the history of Afro-surrealism and provide a digestible timeline for future research. Additionally, I will attempt to discern what makes something Afro-surreal and how Afro-surrealism functions in theatrical and non-theatrical spaces, as this dynamic is crucial to understanding its artistic potency. I will distill these concepts into three main points inspired by decolonial literature. These three concepts are social death, ontological resistance, and Black potentiality. All this information will be explored within the framework of the theatre. Additionally, there will be discussion on how these concepts should be utilized and the mental care needed to continue to engage with them. This paper also documents my personal artistic journey and highlights how Afro-surrealism exist both in and out of the theatre depending on societal dynamics or directorial guidance. I discuss in depth my practical thesis and its effect on my perception of Afro-surrealism. I discuss navigation of institutional and personal hurdles as well as the mechanism that can be unlocked in the rehearsal process. The goal of this paper is to expand and deepen the research on Afro-surrealism and provide a foundation that can guide future practitioners towards a new exciting artistic movement as well as providing much needed information on Afro-surrealism’s foundational concepts as it relates to theatre.