Talking Culture | Site, Context & Time: Evolving Practices in the Performing Arts?

Responding to the social milieu of the time, all art forms evolve with their surroundings, assimilating and adapting cultural practices. The same applies to the performing arts – namely, music, dance and theatre – that have absorbed societal conditions, often leading to an organic change in existing traditions. When a performance is contextualized, it creates a space for itself within the larger gamut of society. Similarly, when traditions evolve to engage different audiences, they also create a niche for themselves. Through the passage of time, we observe this evolution in all art forms. The question remains: how do we address external influences which may affect the vocabulary of existing traditions, while these practices are also attempting to create established spaces of their own? This panel discussion aims to explore the aspects of change and retention according to site and society.