The forgotten: The ability of the bodyto carry the stories of many

Abstract

Performance has long been a method for telling the stories of people. Through the compassionate engagement of finding the stories of other people, the researcher as performer begins to truthfully realise the stories of others. This study is an exploration of performance as research as a method of finding, holding, unfolding and giving voice to the stories of the marginalised. The creative research, through performance as the written word, performance as the body, performance as ritual theatre, and performance as healing, sought to find ways to give voice to the voiceless. Within this context, this research focussed specifically on the young people’s stories, including this researcher’s story, about being part of FeesMustFall movement, being the subject that gave rise to FeesMustFall movement, and being the forgotten story during the FeesMustFall movement. The creative research sought to grapple with the stories of FeesMustFall movement, to capture the uncaptured stories, to give voice to the voiceless, and to explore through performance as research what the underlying experiences, relationships and psychological condition was that gave rise to FeesMustFall movement, and what the stories have become for those who were deeply impacted by the meaning of the movement and the actions of the movement itself. The research sought to undertake this investigation and present its findings through performance. This part of the creative research serves to reflect on the performance as research and to capture the voices through a performative form of writing. The study seeks to demonstrate the power of performance as a means to knowledge and emancipation. Key Words: FeesMustFall, forgotten stories, performance as research, body, body as performance