More Than Just Theatre: Queer Theatre Festivals as Sites of Queer Community Building, Learning, Activism, and Leadership by Alan Chaffe MEd Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, 2014 MA Economics, University of British Columbia, 2006 BBE Business Economics, Brock University, 2005 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies © Alan Chaffe, 2020 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This dissertation may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE More Than Just Theatre: Queer Theatre Festivals as Sites of Queer Community Building, Learning, Activism, and Leadership by Alan Chaffe MEd Leadership Studies, University of Victoria, 2014 MA Economics, University of British Columbia, 2006 BBE Business Economics, Brock University, 2005 Supervisory Committee Dr. Darlene E. Clover, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies Supervisor Dr. Catherine McGregor, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies Departmental Member Dr. Budd Hall, School of Public Administration Outside Member iii ABSTRACT Through lenses of social movement theories, queer theory, intersectionality, performativity, and performance theory, my study employed a qualitative queer(y)ing methodology to explore how three queer theatre festivals contribute to the production of knowledge and learning, community building, and leadership and activism in the queer social movement in Canada. The queer theatre festivals included the Rhubarb festival, Toronto; Pretty, Witty and GAY!, Lethbridge; and OUTstages, Victoria. Data collection methods included participant observation through festival attendance, a postcard survey, and semistructured interviews with festivalgoers, performers, and festival organizers. Findings show that festivalgoers learned through spoken words and visuals of the performances and their embodied/somatic reactions to the performances, self-reflection, collective discourse and reflection, festival design elements, self-learning following the festivals, and from creating a performance and performing. The learning that resulted had significant impacts on festivalgoers including empathy development, therapeutic and healing benefits, a sense of hope, allyship development, and personal transformation. The festivals’ wider societal benefits were found to be increased queer visibility in the communities; the power to shift societal attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour; and economic benefits. The study sheds light on the leadership potential of queer cultural activists and artists (artivist-leaders) as it reveals how the festivals’ act as powerful cultural producing sites with individual and social transformation and learning possibilities. Finally, the study’s findings provide evidence that rejects the claim that a new queer social movement exists and is distinct from the traditional gay and lesbian social movement. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE .................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... vii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................. viii FRONT OF HOUSE SPEECH ....................................................................................................... 1 The Queer Social Movement in Canada: A Brief History .............................................................. 7 ACT ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 13 Statement of Purpose .................................................................................................................... 16 Sites of Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 17 My Vantage Point: Situating Myself ............................................................................................ 18 A Note on Terminology ................................................................................................................ 19 Theoretical and Analytical Frameworks ....................................................................................... 22 Social Movement Theories ................................................................................................... 22 Queer Theory and a Queer Politic ........................................................................................ 24 Intersectionality..................................................................................................................... 25 Performance Theory and Performativity .............................................................................. 25 Methodology and Methods: A “Queer(y)ing” of Methodologies ................................................. 27 Ontological and Epistemological Perspective .............................................................................. 28 My Role: The Insider/Outsider and the Other .............................................................................. 29 Academic and Social Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 31 Organization of the Dissertation ................................................................................................... 32 ACT TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................... 34 New Social Movements and Social Movement Organizations ..................................................... 34 Collective Identity and Identity Politics ............................................................................... 37 Social Capital ........................................................................................................................ 39 Cultural and Symbolic Capital .............................................................................................. 40 Play as a Social Justice Instrument ....................................................................................... 43 Social Movement Learning ................................................................................................... 44 Social Movement Leadership and Activism ......................................................................... 48 Queer Festivals: Events and Festival Studies ............................................................................... 53 Theatrology and Politics: Social Justice Theatre and Related Performance Research ................. 57 Queer Theory and a Queer Politic ................................................................................................ 60 Intersectionality............................................................................................................................. 64 Performance Theory and Performativity ...................................................................................... 66 ACT THREE: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 76 A Qualitative Paradigm................................................................................................................. 77 A Queer(y)ing Methodology......................................................................................................... 79 Elements of Autoethnography .............................................................................................. 86 v Sites of Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 87 The Rhubarb Festival: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre ......................................................... 88 Pretty, Witty, and GAY!: Theatre Outré ............................................................................... 90 OUTstages: Intrepid Theatre................................................................................................. 93 Research Methods ......................................................................................................................... 95 Participant Observation ......................................................................................................... 96 Semistructured Interviews .................................................................................................... 99 Postcard Questionnaire ....................................................................................................... 104 A Hybrid Approach to Data Analysis ......................................................................................... 107 Modes of Data Representation .................................................................................................... 109 Transparency and Trustworthiness ............................................................................................. 112 Ethical Considerations and the Importance