On the Radar: “It’s Us” – Reconsidering the male gaze in feminist performance through approaches of weirdness and digital activism” with Dr Sophie Swoffer – Wednesday 31 January 2024

ON THE RADAR research seminars promote the sharing of knowledge across the entire Sheffield Hallam University community – all are welcome, free to attend. Our next talk is by Dr Sophie Swoffer (Acting & Performance) with “It’s Us!” Reconsidering the male gaze in feminist performance through approaches of weirdness and digital activism, as below:

“It’s Us!” Reconsidering the male gaze in feminist performance through approaches of weirdness and digital activism

“Over forty years have passed since Mulvey warned us of the masculinised position of the spectator in Hollywood films of the 1940s and 1950s. This research talk will demonstrate contemporary digital approaches that can be utilised in performance to deconstruct women’s ongoing relationship to the male gaze. This research is interdisciplinary through how I draw upon derided female film figures, such as the young unknowing starlet and the ageing ‘diva’ actress, and explore alternative feminist destinations for these figures within my own feminist performance art. This talk will reflect on my video performance work It’s Us! (2021), which uses digital approaches to uncover new ways of resisting and reclaiming the male gaze, whilst producing and celebrating innovative alternatives to heteronormative femininity. By considering how the starlet and diva might join forces against misogynist figure heads, I position this practice as contributing to feminist theorisations of the significance of women working together against patriarchal limitation (Ahmed, 2000).”

#shuradar

 

“It’s Us!” Reconsidering the male gaze in feminist performance through approaches of weirdness and digital activism with Sophie Swoffer
Wednesday 31 January 2024, 13:00-14:00
Cantor 9235
All welcome, free to attend. If you have any queries please contact the CCRI team. Please share the details with your students and colleagues who you think might be interested in coming along.

For more information about ON THE RADAR or to add your name as a future presenter, contact Dr Diane A. Rodgers / @SHU_radar / #shuradar

Dr Sophie Swoffer is a Lecturer in Performance at Sheffield Hallam University. Sophie’s work in interdisciplinary and draws on both Performance and Film Studies in order to re-envisage, challenge and deconstruct the male gaze. Sophie was the conference committee chair for the M4C-funded and De Montfort University-supported 2019 practice-based conference, Cracking the Established Order: Practice-Based Research in Academia. She has guest edited The International Journal of Creative Media Research’s special edition of Exploring Creative Methodologies (June 2020) and has also published to the international Body, Space, Technology journal (2021) and Makings journal (2022).