Queering Practice-Led Research: Subjectivity, performative research and the creative arts

Abstract

Much of the discussion and debate about Practice-Led Research (PLR) in the arts and creative industries has been about what constitutes research. This article, in contrast, discusses what constitutes ‘practice’ and describes a form of PLR that is influenced by Queer Theory. This queered PLR foregrounds subjectivity as a practice in itself and views both creative practice and critical research as components in a Foucauldian ‘ethics of the self. In other words, this article positions subjectivity as the core practice leading both research and creative endeavour whilst simultaneously seeing creative practice, research and subjectivity as intertwined and mutually informing each other. In this way, a queered PLR can be seen to reframe creative practice and critical research as an ethical intervention into subject formation and knowledge production. This queering of PLR has the potential to innovate research in the creative arts and may give the creative arts researcher new tools to enrich creative practice, diversify research pathways and increase points of connection with creative artefacts or products. A queered PLR is also envisaged as a dynamic and performative pathway to new knowledges.

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