Song, Dance, Drama and Poetry

All creative practices have been utilised to good effect by communist and allies to incite change and inform and educate. Here are some events where they have been used and the theories behind the actions.

Society of the Spectacle
Reclaim the Streets
The Alienation Effect
Anyone Can Act
Artistic Vigils
Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA)
Creative Disruption
Everyone Has Balls/Ovaries Of Steel
Détournement/Culture Jamming
Image Theatre
Guerrilla Projection
Forum Theatre
Expressive and Instrumental Actions
Flash Mobs
Know Your Cultural Terrain
Use Your Cultural Assets
Theatre of the Oppressed
The Ethical Spectacle
Use the Power of Rituals
Invisible Theatre
Light Brigade
Electoral Guerrilla Theatre
Creative Petition Delivery
Brand Or Be Brand
Make The Invisible Visible
Balance Art and Message
Show Don’t Tell
Hoax
Billionaires For Bush
Consider Your Audience
Memes
99% Bat Signal

Songs
Political songs are a main part of the Agitprop of communist movements. At political rallies and conferences, and whenever the masses are gathered in one place, songs can be heard. New songs and old songs. However, the living culture of political song is far in advance in other places. But we also have the benefit of many comrades from many countries living here to bring us their political songs and dance and stories to improve our agitprop. If you can’t provide live music at your events then there are some revolutionary song playlists here. And protest playlists here.

Dance
The use of dance as a means of Agitprop is not widely used here. Perhaps with the exception of Mardis Gras in some years. But it is used well in other countries and cultures as an effective form of agitprop. This is especially so in South Africa and Latin America. More recently it has been used to reclaim the public spaces and streets in Tunisia from the puritans and in North America with the ‘Idle No More’ First Nation protest movement and at Dakota Pipe line protests.

Choirs
There has always been revolutionary choral singing. Choirs are around already in Sydney. You can find some here. There is the Trade Union Choir here and the Solidarity Choir here and Coro Austral the Sydney Spanish and Latin America choir ensemble is here. Ecopella causing harmony to the environment here. Make your own if you can’t join one of these and a good place to meet other singers is here or set up your own group.

Drama and Poetry
Live drama and street theatre are always going to be part of any study of Agitprop. Acting, directing, producing and all of the dramatic performing arts continue to be cultivated in relation to film and television. But live theatre as a mass phenomenon hardly present in Australian streets and towns. Insofar as live drama does exist, it is usually in theatres limited to a few community theatre groups, universities, schools and a half dozen major venues which are usually outside the budget of many. The New Theatre in Newtown was founded by communists and continues to produce plays of consequence It has played a major role in educating young talent, providing a career springboard for new performers, directors, artists, technicians and playwrights. Their history here. Get involved. They need you.

The effect of television has been to commodify and to render unfruitful the impact of drama on the lives of the people. It becomes the wallpaper of our lives. All of the above applies as well to stand‐up comedy, variety and cabaret, for the time being, and to Ballet and Classical Music, including Opera, which flourish in socialist countries, but in Australia are elite pursuits.

Australia produces some good actors and has a unique and original film industry. But most of the graduates would mainly be headed for the television production studio and related industries.

Poetry

Poetry is something that continues to have a life. People are still writing poetry and performing it, live. Comrades sometimes publish their poems in the Party newspaper. Poetry lives, and is ready to have its day again.