City as Site

In the city “we are surrounded by buildings to which access is restricted or denied to us because of our status, because our actions may be against the common good” (Pearson, 2010, 97). In this sense, we are denied the freedom to go where we please because of our position in society. We are being forced to abide by strict social rules and if we were to stray beyond these social barriers, we would be made to feel as if we didn’t belong.

However, Pearson also states that “in the city we can be anonymous. This perhaps increases our freedom of action” (Pearson, 2010, 97). The City itself is a means of liberation. Everyone and anyone has the right to walk the city streets and pursue whichever path they choose. In the City we have the freedom of movement, but to what extent? It can also be asked that, is being anonymous the only way in which we can feel free in the city? What if we were to stand out? Does this not liberate us from being stuck in the crowd? Our aim is to stand out and be seen when creating performance, not only to liberate ourselves by doing something different and unusual but to liberate people from dominant ideologies of social normalities and regulations.

“In public, we may require a kind of physical restraint, a kind of decorum that allows the mass to function” (Pearson, 2010, 98). In this sense, we take on a kind of persona that allows us to blend in with the crowd in order to get on uninterrupted with our everyday activities. We hardly question the ideologies behind our behaviour in public social spheres which is why we want to create a performance that will stand out and challenge these ideologies.

Pearson, M. (2010) Site Specific Performance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

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