At this point in time South Asian-ness is exotified
and commodified and sellable. And sadly, the majority of the work by South Asian theatre artists that is being programmed by mid-size to larger theatres gives into this Western gaze, a gaze that makes us consumable by White audiences. Colonialism and capitalism work hand- in-hand to consume and control us, and how our stories are told and remembered. And so, as South Asian artists in Toronto we can be at great risk of replicating these hegemonic ideas about our communities, but we also are at a critical point when we have a great opportunity to challenge notions that exotify or demonize the diversity in our South Asian diaspora. As South Asian artists we have privilege within the
model minority complex on and off stage. We can replicate the systems that exclude the voices of many people of colour of darker hues, sometimes lighter hues, and of Indigenous peoples of this land. As being seen as model minorities we are often tokened as hard workers that uphold capitalist structures on the top and bottom of the economic pyramid striving towards the migrant dream of economic success. We bear a complex relationship of being migrants and refugees embodying the legacy of colonialism and now living on colonized land. This is a dangerous position to be in if we do not acknowledge that
we too can replicate systems of oppression. As artists we must be held responsible and accountable to address this in our art and storytelling. The body is the central canvas of storytelling that
intrigues me. So, I finish where I started. Theatre and Yoga saved my life. They saved me by giving my body, my spirit, and my stories back to me to share with and grow with others. By accessing stories in the body, blurring boundaries of disciplines, medicines, and art we are decolonizing. In retrieving stories from the body through theatre and Vedic medicine we are reclaiming our bodies, re-examining our histories, resisting being sellable objects, and revitalizing our truth. Our truths are challenging and complex. Our truths need to be heard. Our truths can and will change the landscape of art and the society we live in and hope to build.
// Nisha Ahuja, actor, theatre creator, writer, and youth
workshop designer/facilitator, has performed and created a range of classical, contemporary, and original work in Canada, the Netherlands, and India. As an arts educator, Nisha has had the privilege of working with a diverse range of youth in Canada and India with renowned theatre companies, urban and rural schools, as well as NGOs and grassroots community organizations.
www.nishaahuja.com
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