Hannah Arendt’s table: on nostalgia, democracy, and potlucks

Abstract

There has been a significant rise in food-based performances in recent years. This paper explores the role of nostalgia within these practices, and what this tells us about the future of theatre – particularly in relation to its civic role in fostering a ‘culture of democracy'. Nostalgia is oriented towards the past, however, I will argue that it also has a role to play within imagining alternative futures. Using Hannah Arendt's public realm – in particular, her metaphor of gathering at a shared table I will explore how my own and others’ food-based performances can channel nostalgia into collective future-building.