Performing in Public: Ethics of a Site-Specific Theatre Practice

Abstract:Site-specific performance, with its grounding in the local, has the potential to engage communities and make theatre accessible by bringing performance directly to the doorsteps of new audiences. However, when performing outside of a traditional theatre venue—and particularly in a public space—a responsible site-based art must ask: How can we (as artists) ensure that our work isn't disruptive to our neighbours, and, perhaps more important, how might the work also be of benefit to the local community? By returning to four previous site-specific performance works, the author—a practitioner of the form—unpacks how their answer to this question has evolved over time.