Queer Enough : Methodological Perspectives on the Dramaturgy of Queer Refugee Narratives and Identity Performance

Abstract

This article is part of a doctoral artistic research project investigating the notions of “home” and “belonging” in performance dramaturgy through the lens of queer refugee and migrant experiences. During the course of this research — conducted in England, Luxembourg, France, and Finland in 2022–2024 — its main focus shifted from the exploration of meaning of home toward examining how queerness must be performed to be recognized as legitimate within institutional frameworks such as Western asylum systems. Focusing on this transformation, the article consists of a personal reflection on the research experience, and methodological and dramaturgical strategies emerging from the process. Structured around three phases — fieldwork, artistic production, and analysis and reflection — it discusses artistic research methodologies, research ethical challenges, and dramaturgical decisions. The aim of the article is to explore the potential of performance dramaturgy as a medium for theorizing, embodied knowledge, and resistance, as well as to offer methodological insights and strategies for representing queer refugee narratives on stage.