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Staff Research Opportunities Resources
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‘Indigeneity in the Contemporary World: Politics, Performance, Belonging' is a five year research initiative funded by the European Research Council and based at Royal Holloway, University of London. This transnational and interdisciplinary project explores how indigeneity is expressed and understood in our complex, globalising world. The aim is to determine what indigeneity has come to mean in particular places and at key moments over the last several decades, and what kind of cultural, political, ethical and aesthetic issues are negotiated within its canvass. To address these questions, the research team will analyse performance as a vital mode of cultural representation and a dynamic social practice. Performance is interpreted broadly to include not only theatre, film and dance, but also mixed-media and site-based work, Olympic pageantry, festival events, political protests and cultural displays within tourism ventures. In this context, indigeneity is recognised as a fluid and contested concept with very particular local inflections and investments, even among original peoples or ‘First Nations’ who regard themselves as indigenous to specific areas. While the research will focus on regions settled during the great era of European imperialism, notably Australia, the Pacific Islands, the Americas and South Africa, the project also addresses the transnational circulation of indigeneity as a highly marketable commodity, particularly in Europe.
Under the leadership of Professor Helen Gilbert, the multinational research team will work within four broad conceptual themes: ‘Commodity and Spectacle’, ‘Heritage and Material Culture’, ‘Mobility and Belonging’ and ‘Reconciliation and Social Cohesion’. Six interconnected projects are planned, with the flexibility to include one or more open topics:
As well as developing their own research, core team members plan to host yearly symposia and conference events and collectively prepare an educational DVD as well as a public exhibition. Visiting research fellows and practitioners will also be invited to contribute to the project over the five-year period. |
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Funded by a €2 .36m grant from the European Research Council for 2009–2014 to build skills among early-career researchers and cover research costs.
The project is hosted by the Centre for International Theatre and Performance Research in the Department of Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London. |
