Sebastian Mylly (QMUL) - 2023-24 Students
s.a.j.mylly@hss19.qmul.ac.uk

Dissent, Neoliberalised: The Performance of Protest in the United Kingdom

This project examines protest and industrial action in the context of performance studies and argues that contemporary repertoires of contention are in dire need of updating. I explore the roles of media, police, law, and neoliberal capitalism in the scripting of protest and make a case for direct action and creativity in protest. Although my research focuses on 2010-2020s United Kingdom, I also draw on other national and historical contexts to trace a broader lineage of the evolution of contentious performances, taking into account their changing scripts, audiences, and settings. The project is interdisciplinary in nature and approaches protest both from material and theoretical perspectives, incorporating elements of performance studies, politics, sociology, history, and philosophy.

Primary supervisor: Dr Michael Shane Boyle

Secondary supervisor: Dr Tom Six