Time or money? The potential of participatory arts practice to challenge complex societal problems and imagine alternative futures

Abstract

This thesis explores how participatory arts practice can engage issues of active citizenship, interrogate current relationships to work and inform understandings of a post-work society. To conduct the research, I used a practice-based approach which in this context manifested as a series of interactive exhibitions that were presented in a variety of public spaces. These interactive exhibitions posed open questions designed to provoke conversation while creating space and time for participants to engage in critical reflection outside of their daily routines. We live in a climate where we work long hours in demanding jobs, which limits our ability to engage in activities outside of employment and our individual concerns. Universal Basic Income (UBI) could help to challenge this situation by decoupling income from work and providing people with the financial security, enabling them to become active citizens. However, the policy is often viewed as utopian and therefore politically unachievable. Research suggests that this is caused by Capitalist Realism and time poverty which restricts people’s ability to imagine alternative ways of living and working, leading to a state of consciousness deflation. My findings show that through its capacity for mimesis and role-play, participatory arts practice can counteract Capitalist Realism by creating a sense of defamiliarization and estrangement that enables a shift in perspective, allowing alternative visions of the future and new political imaginaries to emerge. My research demonstrated that participatory arts practice can create platforms for participants to interact with others in a process of dialogue and exchange that enables them to challenge personally held narratives and beliefs and to disentangle complex social and behavioural protocols. Through this process I was able to communicate ideas like UBI in a way that did not need to win a debate and could move beyond ideological barriers.