b'Short Essays Pauline Eller Mo JohnsonIn what ways might we view street violence as performance? What does viewing street violence in this way help us to understand?Submitted for the second-year optional module Cultures of the Street.Short EssaysMo JohnsonThe recognition of protest as an artistic expression inestates (or council estates as they are known colloquially) the West originated with the postmodernists, whenwere positioned as central actors in criminal activity, and artists began to define art as fundamentally political.specifically to blame for the riots, [b]efore the identity Simultaneously, social movement activists [recognised]of rioters had been established (Beswick 2019: 163). In that protest involves an inescapably aesthetic dimensionthis essay, using dramaturgy to investigate the events, it is (Reed, 2016: 77-79). Protests throughout documentedpossible to establish that this prejudiced narrative sparked history are defined by their unique combination of colourthe riots initially and explains the police and governmental scheme, techniques, slogans and participants. Specifically,narrative throughout the events.the 2011 England riots undoubtedly developed a distinct aesthetic, made up of sports brands, bandana-wearingFirstly, Stanislavskis theories can be used to study poster boys, fire and neon riot gear, juxtaposed againstthe character objectives of the riot participants. By the tarmac of the British capital. In Sophie Nields chapterexamining character objectives, analysis grants access to on site-specific theatre, she classes protest and riots asthe motivation behind the different opposing sides and evidently, not theatre events, yet [they] are inherentlytheir actions. Bella Merlin dissects Stanislavskis method theatrical (Nield, 2012: 220). Nields distinction isin The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit; Why you do something useful, not in claiming the events of August 2011 to becomes from your objective: its your inner psychological rehearsed theatre, but rather in enabling us to see them asdrive. How you do something is the way in which you a playing out of parts on the global stage. This essay willbehave in order to try and achieve your objective. Its use the theories of Constantin Stanislavski and Bertolta physical sequence of actions (Merlin 2007: 134-135 Brecht to analyse the 2011 England riots, arguing thatoriginal emphasis). Merlin goes on to cite Stanislavski street violence can be viewed as a form of performance.himself: Real life, like life on the stage, is made up of This dramaturgical analysis takes into account charactercontinuously arising desires, aspirations, inner challenges objectives (Gestus and stock types), as well as interactionto action and their consummation in internal and external and reaction to an audience - in this case, the mediaactions (Merlin 2007: 134-135). Stanislavski understood transmitting to the western world and beyond.human psychology and was interested in utilising in-depth analysis of a characters mind and psyche to facilitate The scene opens in Tottenham, London, 2011. On thereal characterisation, now known as the performance 4th August, Mark Duggan, a young mixed-race man, wasstyle naturalism. Although the riot participants were not shot dead by police following an attempted arrest. Whatperforming as a Stanislavskian trained actor would, this began as a peaceful protest by his friends and familytheory is valid to this analysis to study their character: the outside Tottenham police station developed into Englandsnature of the participants and their objectives. The cast largest outbreak of social unrest in decades. Riots spreadwas made up of three distinct sides: the rioters, the police throughout London and consequently other English citiesand the audience. including Birmingham and Manchester. The western world watched, as armored police and track-suited riotersThe police worked as a unit. Their violence was organised battled against each other for over three days. The generaland systematic, as decreed by the chain of command: depiction of the riots by the media and the government wasorders received from someone who received orders that it was the work of organised gangs. Fundamentally, asfrom someone who ultimately received orders from the put by Katie Beswick, residents of urban social housingGovernment. Dramaturgically, they represented oppression 35'