Cultural Identity versus Cultural Assimilation and the work of SISTREN Theatre Collective in Context


Research Paper der Gesellschaft für TheaterEthnologie
Wien, 2001

Susanne Schwinghammer-Kogler

The cultural achievements of the Black Diaspora, which generally speaking, can be traced back to the same African traditions, developed differently according to the diverging social conditions in the several colonies. Cultural traditions permanently adopted new conditions and related needs. These adoptions were manifested as creative continuity and discontinuity. Even though or especially because, African-Caribbean cultures emerged as opposition to the imperialist thought, the dominant societies, which orientated themselves on Euro-America, defamed them as inferior. The Jamaican mainstream theatre has also adopted this concept. The basis of a specific Jamaican aesthetics and artistic expression is the syncretism of African and European influences. The call for an autonomous cultural identity is to be found in all former colonies and is closely related to slavery. In post-colonial societies such as Jamaica, the question of cultural identity is of profound relevance for the restructuring of the establishment and the monitoring of the decolonisation process. In the Jamaican context, slavery implies the devaluation and dehumanisation of people of African decent. The forced transformation of black human beings in right-less working units often eliminated any form of cultural identity. On the other hand, the desire of social acceptance led many people to copy the dominant white culture and to neglect their African cultural heritage; a phenomenon, which is manifested in the Jamaican theatre history. Acculturation, the cultural assimilation to the dominant cultural norm, enforced the emergence of a subordinate social system, reflecting the cultural dominance of a particular social class or ethnic group. This process initiated a varying degree of assimilation with the dominant cultural values. If black (theatre) artists wanted to be accepted by the white society they had to subordinate. In Jamaica, this is demonstrated in the system-inherent acceptance of the superiority of Euro-American and the inferiority of African rooted cultures. In the last decades a psychological transformation of the feeling of cultural inferiority of the black majority towards cultural self-awareness took place. In that sense, the (African) periphery challenged the self-declared (Euro-American) centre. The resulting cultural diversity is to be seen as source of independent cultural and artistic expression in Jamaica. The concept of Euro-American cultural superiority and the question, “does an universal aesthetic exist?“ is closely related to a theoretical argumentation of a deconstructed theatre art. The mystification of outer-European theatre traditions served as a cultural stimulus for the European “theatre reformers”. In this context it is significant to mention the absorption of non-western cultures, their extraction out of the respecting socio-cultural background. They did not intend to explore or consider these forms of cultural expression per se but abused them for their interests. Taking non-western contemporary theatre forms into account this statement cannot be valid, but rather documents an obsolete European wishful thinking. The European theatre does not represent the edge of the fictional cultural evolution pyramid. It is significant that theatre anthropological research concentrates almost exclusively on traditional theatre forms assuming that in the respective countries no other forms of theatre are to be found. In this context the research on non-western theatre forms represents a “mystifying search for a lost theatre”. So far non-western theatre forms are often categorised with the label “Ethno”. This tendency is based on the concept of a universal aesthetics in the valuation of art. It is assumed that an art form exists which is considered as beautiful and aesthetical in all cultures in the same way. This concept isn’t only massively Euro-centric but absurd, as it doesn’t take local historical and socio-cultural conditions into account. This concept neglects cultural innovations, individuality and specifications. It is significant that the majority never has experienced the culture, defined as norm by a few. Hence art has been misused as a means of differentiation within a society. Associated values defined cultural norms. Any changes of these norms were considered as deviations of the established culture. The development of an autonomous African-Caribbean art is based on the opposition of Black people against white domination. “Black” in this context does not exclusively describe a skin colour or ethnic affiliation, but rather specifies a cultural identity, which is determined by resistance. The millions of enslaved Africans, which were deported to the countries of the Black Diaspora, synthesized and modified their internal African cultural heritage with the local situation in the colonies. In that context, cultural awareness represented the basis for collective and individual resistance. In a very intense way, the women’s theatre collective SISTREN impart a society-critical as well as reformative impetus on the autonomous Jamaican theatre. SISTREN define themselves as “speaking tube” for those – especially for women – who have no possibility to articulate their concerns. SISTREN are aware of the complexity of women related problems and see a possibility for a visible change in the analysis and definition of those economical and ideological forces, which determine that situation. The collective uses the communication form „drama“ to adequately visualise the creativity and demand for resistance of black women. In that context, traditional popular theatre forms play an important role as basis of a female cultural identity. The work of SISTREN can be seen as continuance of cultural resistance, as fight against the elimination of the orally transmitted cultural heritage. SISTREN have created several dramas, which portray and comment the situation of women in Jamaica. At the beginning the plays were primarily based on personal experiences of the several members of SISTREN. Today, they are representative for the situation of women in Jamaica in general. SISTREN differentiate from other organizations as they publicly discuss private topics of women – such as sexuality and violence. In that sense an individual element is added to the political analysis. SISTREN are intending to create a cultural as well as female identity, which takes African traditions, national independence and women’s emancipation into account. The “red line” which is drawn through all aspects of their work is the permanent appeal to collective self-help. SISTREN is the only theatre group in the Caribbean that was established by working-class women for working-class women and especially out of the perspective of working-class women. SISTREN protest against being categorised as this is linked with limitations. Therefore, they do not define themselves as a feminist theatre group. Being aware of their class background and gender they examine the forms of oppression of the overlapping political and socio-economical structures of the society by the means of theatre. In that sense drama is an effective and powerful tool in the education and motivation of the public. The work of SISTREN is to be seen as a link between artistic sensibility and scientific rationality. When the group was formed in 1977, its proclaimed aims had been the following: - The analysis and documentation of the situation of women within the Jamaican society by the means of theatre - The establishment of a cultural cooperative women’s organisation - The promotion of theatre and drama within the working-class Today, SISTREN is a professional theatre group, which aims to portray the reality of women in its greatest possible immediacy and to use drama as a means of education. But SISTREN do not only want to enhance the awareness of women related problems, they also want to motivate women to develop solutions by themselves. SISTREN believe the movement towards an autonomous cultural identity to be prior to any other struggle. In the Caribbean, cultural identity, and cultural resistance are closely linked with the experiences of women. This fact is a main issue of SISTREN as they are trying to reconstruct female history in Jamaica. In that context drama is a powerful means for the training and motivation of women. An intention, which is perfectly described by the following quote by SISTREN: “If you educate a man, you educate one individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate the family." (End of quote) SISTREN have split their activities into four major fields: theatre, workshops, textiles, and research. The topics of all fields refer to historical and contemporary living conditions; examine women’s work in the private and public sector, class relationships, national and international economical issues as well as patriarchal ideologies. SISTREN developed strategies of modification based on awareness building, organisation and mobilisation of women. With their performances SISTREN are intending to reach a wide-ranged audience, as they want to confront the middle- and upper class with the problems of the working-class. A way to reach these audiences is to perform in established theatre houses like the Barn theatre in Kingston. The group is unique, not only in its composition but also in its theatre method. Their theatre method allows SISTREN to analyse the problems and concerns of women on a here-and-now-level, which creates a basis for identification. The group distributes its ideas within the working-class and demonstrates that individual problems can be solved if this happens on a collective basis. Their method is orientated on the “forum theatre” technique, developed by Augusto Boal, and the “pedagogic of the oppressed” by Paolo Freire. Out of these ideas and concepts SISTREN have developed their own theatre and drama method which links scientific research and analysis with poetry and humour in a unique way. Theatre, poetry and sciences do not appear to be separated approaches, but are linked with each other. Modern scientific methods – such as interviews and brainstorming – are the basis of the several sequences of the dramas. Theses dramas deal with social, moral and psychological dimensions to achieve the women’s autonomy within the similarity of oppression and exploitation. In their dramas SISTREN use music, dance and life stories to follow the tradition of female resistance in Jamaica. SISTREN define resistance as movement against the imperialistic power system and the patriarchal ideology, which is linked with each other inseparably. The creation process of a drama helps to strengthen their identity and self-awareness. The final product – the drama – inspires discussion and therefore, offers a possibility of analysis and problem solution. As already mentioned, initially, SISTREN based their dramas on their own experiences. In co-operation with professional writers, directors, and researches, like Joan French, they started to examine the history of women in Jamaica in order to achieve a better understanding of their presence. Hence, in their more recent plays historical personalities like Nanny (the Maroon leader), May Farquharson und Amy Bailey as well as the experiences of other women were taken into account for their analysis. Beside their major productions SISTREN have created short sequences or dramas for the SISTREN workshops. The theatre work of SISTREN opens a dramatic forum, in which the problems of women of the lowest social classes can be efficiently portrayed. In that way, the audience is confronted with normally marginalized topics. SISTREN can be seen as a popular theatre group in the very sense of this word. They create dramas to promote and hand down the popular culture of Jamaica. This form of popular theatre differs from mainstream theatre in the sense that women who want to express their own ideas, concerns, analysis and interpretations determine the dramatic process. In Jamaica, like in most other countries, social class, politics, economy and the media are determining art. In so far, the theatre art of SISTREN offers a possibility for the promotion and rediscovery of a marginalized cultural heritage. Popular theatre is an effective and efficient tool in the awareness-building process, and the articulation of concerns and problems of the people as it provokes critical reflection. In that context, popular theatre is not only theatre form a people for a people, but also – and this is the difference to folklore – it’s a theatre out of the perspective of a people. As a consequence, a wide basis for collective identification is opened to the audience, which is the starting point for the development of solution models. SISTREN are hoping that their plays contribute to the recognition and understanding for the concerns of the working-class, and finally, lead to collective action. Popular theatre is used to bring people together, to build up trust and solidarity, to promote discussion, to investigate alternative (which means non-violent) possibilities for action and to work out collective solutions. It is significant, that SISTREN integrate traditional folk themes of African decent into their plays. In their dramas – which are shaped as face-to-face confrontations – one can find dance, chant, folk- and children songs as well as drumming. With their work SISTREN have established a new aesthetics. Based on the day-to-day experiences of black women, they connect folk myths and African oral traditions with contemporary performance techniques. The echo on the collective’s work differs. The Jamaican upper- and middle-class is generally not very much interested in the problems of the lower classes which mirrors in national social politics. On the other hand, SISTREN gained a lot of recognition and approval for their work and have been honoured with national and international awards. Members of the upper class support directly through co-operation or indirectly through donations, the collective also. This is related to the collective’s intention to promote and partly manifest the differentiated image of the black, working and independent woman. In their plays and workshops SISTREN have put many of the marginalized experiences of women into public discussion. With their theatre productions and workshops they annually reach about 8000 people in Jamaica, primarily women. They distribute about 9000 copies of their magazine each year. They undertake numerous throughout the Caribbean, the USA, Canada, and overseas, and therefore, reach an international audience as well. The socialisation process within Euro-centric societies implies that all differences between cultures and peoples are provoking fear and insecurity, which is expressed in different ways. The spectrum ranges from xenophobia to exotics. Progressive art can help not only to define the oppressive forces within a society, but also their specific social characters. The aim is to develop a strategy that utilises differences between people as a basis of creative change by the means of awareness building. In this context drama is probably one of the most productive tools, as SISTREN have demonstrated with their theatre art.

Speech held at the 7th Interdisciplinary Congress of the Society For Caribbean Research: “CARIBBEAN CRITICAL CULTURES – CULTURAL CRITIQUES“, Vienna, 4.7.-7.7.2001