Social Justice and Fringe Theatre in Higher Education

Abstract

Theatre and performance have long been used to platform, challenge, and agitate for social justice. Using contemporary work focussed on marginalised communities can facilitate and broaden the reach and understanding of such work. This paper reports on a case study using It's A MotherF**King Pleasure (FlawBored, 2023) in a formal higher education setting, examining what can be gained in the use(s) of such work. In moving through arguments advocating for working with ‘fringe’ artists and their work, the benefits of conscious enaction of critical pedagogy and the highlighting of the potential benefits to students—and educators—in their understanding of social justice, this paper argues for the inclusion of those new artists making work now, into the teaching material. The case study emphasises the importance and ability of creating a space in higher education (and beyond) for open and engaged inquiry into deeply held viewpoints, with suggestions of how to enact it, offered.