PERFORMANCE ART AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN WEST ASIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i4s.2026.7639Keywords:
Cultural Diplomacy, Performance Art, Soft Power, West Asia, Embodiment, Identity FormationAbstract [English]
In an era where geopolitical competition increasingly unfolds through symbolic and cultural arenas, performance art has emerged as a significant yet under-theorized instrument of cultural diplomacy. This study examines how live artistic performance functions as a distinct diplomatic practice in West Asia by introducing the Embodied Cultural Diplomacy Model. Moving beyond conventional frameworks that treat cultural diplomacy primarily as institutional projection or national branding, the article conceptualizes performance as an affective and spatial mechanism operating through embodied interaction, emotional engagement, identity reframing, and soft power transformation. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from cultural diplomacy scholarship, constructivist international relations, and performance studies, the study develops a theoretical typology comprising three configurations: institutional performance diplomacy, narrative-resistance diplomacy, and heritage-reconstruction diplomacy. These configurations are analytically applied to illustrative cases in West Asia, including state-supported cultural platforms, grassroots diasporic initiatives, and exilic heritage revival projects. The findings demonstrate that performance diplomacy is structurally diverse and extends beyond state-centric models, encompassing civil society and transnational actors. By foregrounding embodiment and affect as central diplomatic mechanisms, the study expands existing debates on soft power and sustainable cultural diplomacy and positions performance art as a core arena in which geopolitical narratives, collective identities, and symbolic legitimacy are negotiated.
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