Engendering the Streets through Protests: Historicising Select Feminist Street Performances in India

Priyam Ghosh

Article Details

Engendering the Streets through Protests: Historicising Select Feminist Street Performances in India

Authors:

Priyam Ghosh

Publisher:

Ataturk University

Main Topics:

Çağdaş Tiyatro Çalışmaları | Tiyatro Kuramı

Journal:

Theatre Academy Vol.3 Issue 2, pp.74-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001359587

pISSN:

2980-1656

Keywords:

Abstract:

 The cityscape is constantly touted as a widely used scenographic background, with enormous deployment of technological apparatus to stage various events. This paper delves into the intersection of second-wave feminist movements and street theatre within the context of India, juxtaposing historical occurrences with contemporary settings. It scrutinizes the dynamics of urban landscapes as pivotal settings for performative activism, employing technology in staging events like street theatres and Queer pride parades. These spaces, while spotlighting identity politics, also unveil the underpinning surveillance apparatus, often rebranded as safe spaces under the aegis of a neo-liberal state. Focusing on the anti-dowry protest in late 1970s and anti-rape movement of 2012 in Delhi, this paper scrutinizes selected protest performances that transpired during this period. By employing theoretical frameworks that delve into the amalgamation of social memory within performance texts and the structured embodiment of performers, it seeks to analyze the transformative impact of these performances during the anti-rape movement, shedding light on their socio-political significance in contemporary India and explores how feminist street theatre fosters socio-political dialogue, mobilizes public spaces, and influences the discourse on gendered violence in urban contexts.

 The cityscape is constantly touted as a widely used scenographic background, with enormous deployment of technological apparatus to stage various events. This paper delves into the intersection of second-wave feminist movements and street theatre within the context of India, juxtaposing historical occurrences with contemporary settings. It scrutinizes the dynamics of urban landscapes as pivotal settings for performative activism, employing technology in staging events like street theatres and Queer pride parades. These spaces, while spotlighting identity politics, also unveil the underpinning surveillance apparatus, often rebranded as safe spaces under the aegis of a neo-liberal state. Focusing on the anti-dowry protest in late 1970s and anti-rape movement of 2012 in Delhi, this paper scrutinizes selected protest performances that transpired during this period. By employing theoretical frameworks that delve into the amalgamation of social memory within performance texts and the structured embodiment of performers, it seeks to analyze the transformative impact of these performances during the anti-rape movement, shedding light on their socio-political significance in contemporary India and explores how feminist street theatre fosters socio-political dialogue, mobilizes public spaces, and influences the discourse on gendered violence in urban contexts.

 The cityscape is constantly touted as a widely used scenographic background, with enormous deployment of technological apparatus to stage various events. This paper delves into the intersection of second-wave feminist movements and street theatre within the context of India, juxtaposing historical occurrences with contemporary settings. It scrutinizes the dynamics of urban landscapes as pivotal settings for performative activism, employing technology in staging events like street theatres and Queer pride parades. These spaces, while spotlighting identity politics, also unveil the underpinning surveillance apparatus, often rebranded as safe spaces under the aegis of a neo-liberal state. Focusing on the anti-dowry protest in late 1970s and anti-rape movement of 2012 in Delhi, this paper scrutinizes selected protest performances that transpired during this period. By employing theoretical frameworks that delve into the amalgamation of social memory within performance texts and the structured embodiment of performers, it seeks to analyze the transformative impact of these performances during the anti-rape movement, shedding light on their socio-political significance in contemporary India and explores how feminist street theatre fosters socio-political dialogue, mobilizes public spaces, and influences the discourse on gendered violence in urban contexts.

 Kent manzarası, çeşitli etkinliklerin sahnelenmesinde yoğun şekilde teknolojik aygıt kullanımının devreye sokulduğu yaygın bir sahneleme arka planı olarak sürekli öne çıkarılmaktadır. Bu makale, Hindistan bağlamında ikinci dalga feminist hareketler ile sokak tiyatrosunun kesişim noktasına eğilmekte olup, tarihsel olayları çağdaş bağlamlarla yan yana getirmektedir. Kent mekânlarının, performatif aktivizmin temel sahneleri olarak nasıl işlev gördüğünü irdeleyen çalışma, sokak tiyatroları ve Queer onur yürüyüşleri gibi etkinliklerin sahnelenmesinde teknolojinin kullanımını tartışır. Bu mekânlar, kimlik politikasına ışık tutarken, aynı zamanda çoğu zaman neo-liberal devletin himayesinde güvenli alanlar olarak yeniden adlandırılan denetim aygıtlarını da açığa çıkarır. 1970lerin sonundaki çeyiz karşıtı protestolar ile 2012de Delhideki tecavüz karşıtı hareket üzerine yoğunlaşan bu makale, söz konusu dönemde ortaya çıkan seçme protesto performanslarını inceler. Performans metinlerinde toplumsal belleğin birleşimine ve oyuncuların yapılandırılmış temsillerine odaklanan kuramsal çerçevelerden yararlanarak, bu performansların özellikle tecavüz karşıtı hareket esnasındaki dönüştürücü etkisini incelemeyi amaçlar. Böylece, çağdaş Hindistanda bu performansların sosyo-politik önemini ortaya koyar ve feminist sokak tiyatrosunun nasıl sosyo-politik diyalog yarattığını, kamusal alanları harekete geçirdiğini ve kentleşme bağlamında toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddet üzerine söylemi nasıl etkilediğini araştırır.

Article Details

Engendering the Streets through Protests: Historicising Select Feminist Street Performances in India

Authors:

Priyam Ghosh

Publisher:

Ataturk University

Main Topics:

Çağdaş Tiyatro Çalışmaları | Tiyatro Kuramı

Journal:

Theatre Academy Vol.3 Issue 2, pp.74-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001359587

pISSN:

2980-1656

Street theatre

Anti-rape

anti-dowry

Activism

UrbanSokak tiyatrosu

Tecavüz karşıtlığı

Çeyiz karşıtlığı

Aktivizm

Kent

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Priyam Ghosh

Publisher: Ataturk University

Main Topics: Çağdaş Tiyatro Çalışmaları | Tiyatro Kuramı

Journal: Theatre Academy Vol.3 Issue 2, pp.74-87

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001359587

pISSN: 2980-1656

Issues

Authors:

Priyam Ghosh

Publisher:

Ataturk University

Main Topics:

Çağdaş Tiyatro Çalışmaları | Tiyatro Kuramı

Journal:

Theatre Academy Vol.3 Issue 2, pp.74-87

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001359587

pISSN:

2980-1656