Synopsis
Cultural misappropriation or allophilia?
Theme of the month : The Changing
In The12Project January production CONFLICT, we felt compelled to discuss the controversial subject of cultural appropriation. The corners of the world are stretching toward each other longingly as borders blur and languages find familiar tongues. And we… we are caught in the fold. Our encounters with cultures foreign to our norms are soaring and, with them, our horizons. For now, we have only dipped our toes into the deep, but we are enchanted. Thirsty to dive in… to pertain to the cultures we encounter. Yet we hesitate. Why? Because the water is not still. A wind grazes its surface, and the ripples carry questions of the integrity of our intentions. Society encourages acceptance of other cultures, but in turn targets those who choose to adopt the beauty they discover. We do not hold the resolution, but our January production, CONFLICT, seeks an answer to the extant question: Is it acceptable to emulate aspects of a culture without misappropriating it and, if existing, what are the limits?
Words by RJ Arkhipov
