Azadeh Ganjeh – Zhina-Revolution: Anonymous activism and mobile phone videos
There is a history of activists who use the internet and digital tools in the favor of social and/or political changes. These tools have been used for different tasks such as building community with expanded accessibility, raising awareness, and organizing or documenting actions. Citizens/individuals are able to create content and distribute it through online platforms and social media and gain fame. This content not only could have performative characteristics but also can create productions in the frame of digital performance. While state policies can limit and control the access to distribution or receipt of these productions in order to restrict their effect, Activists continue using this stage for freedom of speech and extensive affectability. Since September 2022, the world spectated the anonymous activism of Iranian citizens/artists and became their audience through mobile phone videos. This lecture tries to look into the aesthetics and effects of these productions in order to understand the interplay of performance art and politics.
Azadeh Ganjeh was born in Tehran (Iran) is a Doc. phil in Theatre studies, Playwright, Dramaturge, Performance Artist, and Theatre Director. After receiving her BA in Civil Engineering, she earned a Theater directing M.A degree from Tehran Art University and Graduated as a Dr. in philosophy-theatre studies from Bern University. She is an academic and researcher in exile since 2022. She left Iran while she was an Assistant Professor at the School of Performing Arts-University of Tehran. Since April 2022 she received a fellowship from the Philipp Schwartz initiative and is affiliated with The University of Hildesheim, Institut für Medien, Theater und Populäre Kultur. Her special interest in producing site-specific and immersive theatre Productions in favor of theatre for development, Performance Art Activism, and social theatre brought her national and international prizes. Her research interest is focused on Cultural Mobility theory, Theatre for Development and Democracy, Performativity of public events, Aesthetics of Digitality and Performance Art, Activism in Performance Art, and Digital Theatre.
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