In the perspective of a global cultural history, it is common sense that the multiplicity of modernities calls for particular attention: Instead of applying allegedly universal concepts, recent approaches rather foster sensitivity for special contexts, varying temporalities and developments. The awareness for a multiplicity and diversity of cultural and social developments is at the centre of contemporary discussions. Training students in this perspective through practical exercises, and joint working groups is at the core of this project. It is combined with the task of learning how to work with archival objects and documents, learning to read them not only in their semantic dimension but also with respect to their materiality and to the practices inscribed in them. In this light, theatre and performance appear as privileged socio-cultural places where collective issues are acted out, represented and potential solutions discussed, projected and rejected. The democratization of the public sphere, the discourse of projecting a ‘new’ or revised image of the nation is a challenge all three countries (Chile, Germany, and India) had to meet in the 20th century. Though each of the contexts is special in its own right, similarities and references can be observed and will be of importance to the project. Following up on previous projects in this longstanding cooperation, the project consists of two seminars (winter 20/21 and summer 21).

In the first half of the project, the seminar will look at historical documents and archival material that documents the respective processes of democratizing the public sphere and envisioning alternative models of nation and society. Under different political and social conditions, Germany as well as India and Chile underwent an accelerated period of politization and modernization in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Indian society was struggling for independence, political autonomy and the concept of a free society. The process of nation-building concerned all aspects of public and cultural life. Chile was celebrating the Centennial of its Independence from the Spanish Crown, and though facing modernization it was also suffering an economic crisis to the opening of the Panama Chanel and the discovery of synthetic saltpeter. Germany, in contrast, was undergoing the process of nation-building but also a phase of social reform in order to overcome the restrictions of the Wilhelmine era. Theatre and performance play in important role in the three countries. Students and faculty shall reconstruct the conditions and forms of single troupes, reading their organizational form as well as their aesthetics as proof of their political contribution.

The second half of the seminar, scheduled for the summer term 2021, will take a closer look at contemporary performances. Departing from the historical analyses of the first part, the sequel-seminar will focus on the performance and dramaturgical analysis vis-à-vis contemporary performances from all three countries. Through the intercultural dialogue, students shall learn to find a language for unknown aesthetic phenomena as well as to discuss processes of collective memory.

Our team unifies theatre researchers from three continents:
•    Prof. Dr. Bishnupriya Dutt, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
•    Prof. Dr. Milena Grass Kleiner, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
•    Prof. Dr. Andres Kalawski, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
•    Prof. Dr. Peter W. Marx, Universität zu Köln, Germany
•    Dr. Ameet Parameswaran, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India 

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