Between Axiomatic Equality and Agonistic Pluralism: reconsidering the interpersonal relations between performer and director roles in performance collaboration

This thesis aims to reconsider the interpersonal relations between performer and director roles through Jacques Ranciere’s axiomatic equality and Chantal Mouffe’s agonistic pluralism.

The research addresses criticisms of ‘collaboration’ in theatre making and looks at how collaboration has become an accepted term in contemporary performance discourse. Ideas of freedom and equality formed by the democratic deologies of the 60s will be questioned to see where democratic strategies may fit

Axiomatic equality and agonistic pluralism will be used interdependently to look at the performer and director roles in performance collaboration.

These ideas have been explored as practical research. Through a ‘push-pull’ dynamic of the practice-theory paradigm, principles of temporary hegemonic structure, visibility and distance were formed to act as democratic strategies.

The practice was conducted over a four month practical exploration with three core group members at the University of Huddersfield. The thesis will be accompanied by resources of documentation in the form of DVDs and an Artist Box.

The reconstitution of the roles was formed through the design of strategies titled Open Space, Secret Roles and Not in Service. Ultimately the practice enabled attributes of the performer and director roles to be shared by individuals who made up the collaborative group.