- Title
- The exploration of Black and Brown drag performance communities: an artistic tool for creating safe spaces
- Creator
- Adriaan, Aaron Robert
- ThesisAdvisor
- Khoza, M.
- Subject
- Uncatalogued
- Date
- 2025-04-25
- Type
- Academic theses
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/478383
- Identifier
- vital:78182
- Description
- This research investigates the role of drag performance in South Africa, particularly its contribution to the fostering and maintenance of safe spaces for Black and Brown Queer communities. Inspired by the community building legacy Kewpie. This research project employs auto-ethnographic research practice to generate a better understanding of modes of Queer drag praxis drawing on Linda Tuhiwai Smith's (1999) concept of the "insider/outsider" researcher. The project acknowledges the ethical challenges of researching vulnerable communities. This research is guided by self-reflection and information gathered from fieldwork; informed by an awareness of the theory of ‘intersectionality’ (Carbado, Crenshaw, Mays, Tomlinson 2013) exploring the complexities of race, class, and sexuality within Cape Town’s Queer community. In this way, the study navigates the complexities of race, class, and sexuality within the drag context of Cape Town through the viewpoint of this researcher. The contextual exploration of drag unfolds across two interconnected disciplinary avenues: Firstly, the historical context of drag and its evolution within the performance art canon: to understand the place of contemporary drag in the broader artistic and cultural discourse. Secondly, the study investigates theatrical histories and conventions that have influenced and transformed drag practices. This is done to frame drag performance with forms of theatrical performance. This historical and disciplinary background is used to formulate a distinction that is at the centre of this research: proposing that contemporary drag practice in the City of Cape Town can be understood and to some extent distinguished by the categories of embodied costume and embodied performance. Embodied costume within the scope of this research view the use of drag aesthetics and visual elements in artistic expressions and performances that fall outside of traditional ‘drag show’ culture. Embodied performance refers to drag performances that fall within the context of traditional ‘drag show’ genres, communities, and venues − reminiscent of cabaret performance. This conception highlights the performative aspects of the drag persona, which is an extension of the performer’s identity. While some performers and performances can exemplify either embodied performance or embodied costume, these categories are not mutually exclusive, with incalculable overlaps in keeping with the rich possibilities of drag practice. The purpose of highlighting these distinctions is to create a critical framework for exploring the unique position drag occupies between fine art and theatre, incorporating both fields of practice, and synthesising them into a unique language for the expression of alternate gender narratives.
- Description
- Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2025
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (148 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Adriaan, Aaron Robert
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/)
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RU Department of Fine Art
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | ADRIAAN-MA-TR25-10.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |