THE PHENOMENON OF CULTURAL PERFORMANCE AND THE RISE OF PERFORMANCE STUDIES

Abstract

Performance is one of the most inspiring phenomena of contemporary culture. However, there is still no comprehensive and thorough research that focuses on identifying the essential characteristics and nature of this phenomenon, which demonstrates the relevance of the study. 
A separate group of issues that will be covered in this study is the terminological aspects of the functioning of the concepts of “performance” and “performative”. In addition, one of the important aspects that the author of the article focuses on is the formation of such a field as “cultural performance” and the launch of such a new area of academic research as “performative studies”.
As is well known, the term “performance” was first used by sociologists and humanities scholars in its theatrical sense to understand social rituals and everyday interpersonal communication. This understanding of performance was later used in relation to political demonstrations and artistic experiments, such as “happenings.” 
A separate group of performance phenomena is represented by the “products” of cultural performance. The very concept of cultural performance today is most often encountered in connection with such audiovisual art forms as theater and cinema, and is also quite actively used in relation to television products. However, cultural performance still goes beyond these phenomena. Over time, the concept of performance as an embodied actualization of cultural forces has not only inspired many different areas of research, but has actually launched its own paradigm of knowledge – performance studies.
The formation of cultural performance and the emergence of performance studies lay an important foundation for the development of performance and research in the field of performing arts, contribute to a better understanding of the manifestations of contemporary culture, in particular, the interdisciplinary relationship between the aesthetic, socio-political, linguistic spheres, etc., which is successfully expressed in modern times through the prism of performance).