Performing Postsocialism in Twenty-First-Century China

In the late twentieth century, the government of the Peoples Republic of China launched a series of reforms that deeply transformed Chinese society and led to the countrys rise as a global economic power in the new millennium. The concept of postsocialism was introduced to describe the transition from a socialist to a capitalist system and the new cultural practices emerging in response to this transition. China stands out among postsocialist nations compared, for example, to the post-Soviet states of Central and Eastern Europe in that it is still ruled by a single party that promotes socialist ideology alongside a neoliberal economy. Postsocialist culture reflects the coexistence of different models and stages of socioeconomic modernisation, and the combination of traditional and globalised values in contemporary Chinese society. Research on the relationship between Chinese postsocialism and performance cultures has been limited, especially on developments since the twenty-first century. This project therefore introduces the concept of performing postsocialism to explore both how the postsocialist condition has affected postmillennial performance, and how studying postsocialism from a performance perspective can enrich our knowledge of postmillennial China. The project adopts a broad definition of performance: not only as a creative practice, but also as a manifestation of social and cultural behaviour, and as a methodology. Consequently, the research will focus both on artworks reflecting the Chinese postsocialist condition and on performance as a way of understanding postsocialist China. Specifically, it will examine theatre, dance, media, and performance art works by independent performing and visual arts practitioners as well as forms of activism through the arts. This production expresses the cultural, ideological, and socioeconomic ambivalences of Chinese postsocialism and its complex temporality, as it reflects on the socialist past, responds to current sociopolitical realities, and imagines possible futures, often through the application of new technologies. On the one hand, postsocialist performance will be analysed in the context of the postmillennial expansion and commercialisation of the cultural and creative industries. On the other hand, the research will explore the challenges posed by stricter policy regulations and increased state control over culture and the arts since the transition to Xi Jinpings leadership in 2013. It will also assess changes that have occurred since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the project will provide new insights into historically significant but understudied material and develop a new theoretical framework that shows how the meaning of performing postsocialism can extend beyond art and aesthetics to reflect, more broadly, on politics, society, and everyday life.