Interactive Performance as a Means of Civic Dialogue

This paper presents a case study of an interactive
performance that was produced and designed to encourage
civic engagement and reflection in relation to the social
tensions in a low-income suburb, mostly inhabited by
people with immigrant backgrounds. The technological
setup in the performance encouraged participation by
means of text entries that audience members could share
with others. The analysis draws on the corpus of interview
and observational data collected, as well as the related text
messages that were shared during the performance. We
illustrate the different levels at which citizens make sense
of societal issues they are concerned about, as well as the
audience-citizens’ perception of participating in such an
artistic experience