See me! A Discussion on the Quality in Performing Arts for Children Based on a Performative Approach

In this article, the writer discusses and analyses what happens to the evaluation of quality inperforming arts for children when we move from the notion of art as an object to art as an event. ErikaFischer-Lichte´s theory on the so-called performative turn in the arts and more specifically, the termfeedback loop, constitute the article´s theoretical backdrop. Two audience-related episodes, the danceperformance BZzBZz-DADA dA bee by ICB Productions (3–6 year olds) and the theatre performanceThought Lab by Cirka Teater (for 6-year-olds and above), serve as starting points for the theoreticaldiscussion. By adopting Siemke Böhnisch’s performative approach to theatre analysis, focusing on theterms directed-ness2 and contact in relation to the audience, the writer seeks to show a dissonance (andits reverse) between the performers and the audience in the two respective performances. The termdissonance describes moments of unintended breaks in communication, moments of which theperformers are most likely unaware. These moments, however, become apparent when the audience´sreactions are included in the analysis, and we become almost obliged to consider the child audience asqualified judges of quality, as opposed to allowing ourselves to dismiss their interactions as either noise orenthusiasm