Staging Resilience: Selected Performances as Response to Insecurity and Migration in Nigeria.

Abstract

Staging resilience examines how the Nigerian theatre practitioners address the challenges of insecurity and migration as well as how the performances reflect resilience and coping mechanisms of individuals and communities affected. Art as a vehicle of expression provide a platform for voices and stories to be heard, critique societal and political issues that contribute to poor leadership and its consequent human tempers. This paper applies Postcolonial Performance Theory to examine how selected Nigerian performances respond to the challenges of insecurity and migration. Through the analysis of selected Nigerian theatre performances, the researcher applies a descriptive qualitative methodology to reveal the impact of performance as a resilient tool against the traumatic impacts of insecurity and migration. More so, the paper argues that these performances do not only reflect the experiences of displacement and violence, but also, subvert dominant narratives and identity. Through the postcolonial lens, this research highlights the ways in which Nigerian theatre performances challenge dominant discourses, foster community resilience and provide a platform for marginalized voices to be heard; by exploring the intersection of performance, insecurity, migration and identity, the study contributes to ongoing conversations on the role of art in responding to socio-political challenges in Nigeria.

Keywords: Resilience, Insecurity, Migration, Performances and Postcolonial Theory.