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How Little is Enough? : Sustainable Methods of Performance for Transformative Encounters

Önnudóttir, Steinunn Hildigunnur Knúts LU (2024) In Doctoral Studies and Research in Fine and Performing Arts
Abstract
At the core of this artistic doctoral thesis are four performance projects designed to counter the consumer-driven nature of contemporary performance-making while also addressing the need to develop sustainable methods of performance. Guided by the question: how to construct sustainable methods of performance for transformative encounters? the inquiry transcends the different layers of performance-making to explore the potential of performance as a catalyst for societal change.As a part of the Agenda 2030 Graduate School, an interdisciplinary research initiative at Lund University, the project focuses on existential sustainability and investigates how performance can enhance participants' sense of meaning and motivation for adopting... (More)
At the core of this artistic doctoral thesis are four performance projects designed to counter the consumer-driven nature of contemporary performance-making while also addressing the need to develop sustainable methods of performance. Guided by the question: how to construct sustainable methods of performance for transformative encounters? the inquiry transcends the different layers of performance-making to explore the potential of performance as a catalyst for societal change.As a part of the Agenda 2030 Graduate School, an interdisciplinary research initiative at Lund University, the project focuses on existential sustainability and investigates how performance can enhance participants' sense of meaning and motivation for adopting sustainable lifestyles and increasing sustainable awareness. The thesis output is presented in three categories; a performance archive documenting, detailing and analysing the performances and their impact; research publications, disseminating findings and key concepts through different public formats; and method development accounting for the methodological approaches that have emerged through the process.
The four performance works of this artistic research are: No Show (2020), Island (2020), Strings (2022), and Pleased to Meet You (2022/2023). The three publications of the project are: How Little is Enough? Embracing and Porous Dramaturgies for Transformative Encounters, a video article; How Little is Enough? A Quest for Existential Sustainability, a video article; and the podcast series Transformative Encounters. Utilizing Me-thod, a pluralistic situated methodology grounded in the artist´s personal background and skillset, together with the how-little-is-enough approach, which minimizes production and focuses on essential needs, the project has collected insights into how performative encounters can initiate transformation in participants and foster connections to the world around them, thereby enhancing existential sustainability and nurturing care for the environment. Through repeated cycles of action-based artistic research, employing qualitative materials and autoethnographical approaches, rich data was generated. The findings emphasize the importance of personal engagement, embodiment, and authentic exchange as catalysts for transformation within performative encounters.
Through this investigation, the thesis aims to contribute to the development of sustainable approaches to performance-making that facilitate profound and meaningful human experiences in an era marked by unprecedented societal and environmental challenges.
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Dr. Rebecca Hilton, Stockholm University of the Arts
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Relation-specific-performance, Participatory-performance, Sustainability, Existential-sustainability, Porous-dramaturgy, Embracing-dramaturgy, Site-specificity, Human-specificity, Agenda 2030, Ecology, Do-it-yourself-performance, Performative-encounters, Transformative-encounters, Theatre, Performance
in
Doctoral Studies and Research in Fine and Performing Arts
issue
32
publisher
Malmö: Lund University, Malmö Theatre Academy
defense location
Bryggeriteatern, Malmö Theatre Academy, Bergsgatan 31 B
defense date
2024-09-27 13:00:00
ISSN
1653-8617
ISBN
978-91-8104-106-4
978-91-8104-107-1
DOI
10.22501/rc.1414313
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
17726661-6a6f-40f0-9b15-8dcc639779ab
date added to LUP
2024-05-31 15:32:13
date last changed
2024-06-05 15:57:52
@misc{17726661-6a6f-40f0-9b15-8dcc639779ab,
  abstract     = {{At the core of this artistic doctoral thesis are four performance projects designed to counter the consumer-driven nature of contemporary performance-making while also addressing the need to develop sustainable methods of performance. Guided by the question: how to construct sustainable methods of performance for transformative encounters? the inquiry transcends the different layers of performance-making to explore the potential of performance as a catalyst for societal change.As a part of the Agenda 2030 Graduate School, an interdisciplinary research initiative at Lund University, the project focuses on existential sustainability and investigates how performance can enhance participants' sense of meaning and motivation for adopting sustainable lifestyles and increasing sustainable awareness. The thesis output is presented in three categories; a performance archive documenting, detailing and analysing the performances and their impact; research publications, disseminating findings and key concepts through different public formats; and method development accounting for the methodological approaches that have emerged through the process. <br/>The four performance works of this artistic research are: No Show (2020), Island (2020), Strings (2022), and Pleased to Meet You (2022/2023). The three publications of the project are: How Little is Enough? Embracing and Porous Dramaturgies for Transformative Encounters, a video article; How Little is Enough? A Quest for Existential Sustainability, a video article; and the podcast series Transformative Encounters. Utilizing Me-thod, a pluralistic situated methodology grounded in the artist´s personal background and skillset, together with the how-little-is-enough approach, which minimizes production and focuses on essential needs, the project has collected insights into how performative encounters can initiate transformation in participants  and foster connections to the world around them, thereby enhancing existential sustainability and nurturing care for the environment. Through repeated cycles of action-based artistic research, employing qualitative materials and autoethnographical approaches, rich data was generated. The findings emphasize the importance of personal engagement, embodiment, and authentic exchange as catalysts for transformation within performative encounters.  <br/>Through this investigation, the thesis aims to contribute to the development of sustainable approaches to performance-making that facilitate profound and meaningful human experiences in an era marked by unprecedented societal and environmental challenges.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Önnudóttir, Steinunn Hildigunnur Knúts}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-8104-106-4}},
  issn         = {{1653-8617}},
  keywords     = {{Relation-specific-performance; Participatory-performance; Sustainability; Existential-sustainability; Porous-dramaturgy; Embracing-dramaturgy; Site-specificity; Human-specificity; Agenda 2030; Ecology; Do-it-yourself-performance; Performative-encounters; Transformative-encounters; Theatre; Performance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{32}},
  publisher    = {{Malmö: Lund University, Malmö Theatre Academy}},
  series       = {{Doctoral Studies and Research in Fine and Performing Arts}},
  title        = {{How Little is Enough? : Sustainable Methods of Performance for Transformative Encounters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.22501/rc.1414313}},
  doi          = {{10.22501/rc.1414313}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}