Performing Stories with Neo-Dastangoi: Politics, Society, & Art in the Urban Fabric

Performing Stories with Neo-Dastangoi: Politics, Society, & Art in the Urban Fabric offers an immersive exploration into the intersections of politics, society, and artistic expression through the lens of Neo-Dastangoi, a modern revival of the ancient Urdu storytelling tradition, Dastangoi. Traditionally, Dastangoi captivated audiences through oral narratives of fantastical worlds and heroic adventures, blending poetry, history, and imagination. Neo-Dastangoi reimagines this practice for contemporary times, integrating multimedia, performance, and social commentary to address the complexities of today’s world. Central to this course is the philosophical framework of phenomenology, which examines how human experiences are shaped by the spaces we inhabit. By applying this lens, students will investigate how stories— rooted in specific social, cultural, and political contexts— transform urban spaces into stages where power dynamics, identities, and memories are played out. Through this approach, students will uncover how performance-making and storytelling serve as potent tools of resistance, cultural preservation, and social engagement. We will delve into the political struggles, social identities, and artistic innovation reflected in Cairo’s urban fabric. Through field trips to prominent and marginal spaces, multimedia documentation, and weekly performance workshops, students will capture the narratives embedded in the city's architecture, streets, and people. Guided by local and global case studies, they will explore how political landscapes, social histories, and artistic forms intertwine in everyday spaces.

By the end of the course, students will create their own Neo-Dastan performances, engaging critically with Cairo’s layered political and social realities, while exploring the transformative power of art. This course invites students with a passion for storytelling, regardless of their academic background, to explore how narratives shape the world around us.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the Historical and Contemporary Significance of Dastangoi: Gain knowledge of Dastangoi as a traditional storytelling form and its evolution into Neo-Dastangoi as a modern performance practice. Explore how Neo-Dastangoi serves as a tool for political, social, and artistic expression. 2. Apply Phenomenological Concepts to Storytelling: Understand and apply the philosophical framework of phenomenology, particularly the relationship between space, identity, and human experience. Analyze how urban spaces shape personal and collective narratives. 3. Critically Analyze Political and Social Narratives in Performance: Examine how storytelling and performance are used as tools for resistance, cultural preservation, and social commentary. Reflect on how political struggles, social identities, and artistic movements are intertwined with urban spaces, using Cairo as a primary case study. 4. Create Performances That Engage with Urban Spaces: Develop the ability to document and interpret urban spaces through audio-visual methods, drawing out the political and social histories embedded within. Use Cairo’s urban fabric as a stage to craft original Neo-Daastan performances that reflect and challenge political and social realities. 5. Blend Theory with Practice: Synthesize theoretical readings on space, identity, and performance with creative expression, producing performances that are both insightful and culturally resonant. Use performance-making workshops to translate ideas from readings and discussions into live storytelling, integrating multimedia and movement. 6. Collaborate and Reflect in a Participatory Learning Environment: Engage in peer feedback and collaborative discussions, using the Long Table Etiquette model to foster non-hierarchical dialogue and shared learning. Reflect critically on the learning process and the intersections of personal, political, and artistic narratives through journaling, group discussion, and performance.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Created a Final Neo-Daastan Performance: Produced an original performance that integrates political and social themes within a narrative framework, using multimedia tools and urban spaces as inspiration. 2. Demonstrated a Deep Understanding of Space, Identity, and Memory: Showed proficiency in applying phenomenological theories to analyze how personal and collective identities are shaped by the spaces they inhabit. 3. Engaged Critically with Cairo’s Urban Fabric: Documented and analyzed the political, social, and artistic layers within Cairo’s urban spaces, connecting these insights to their performance work. 4. Contributed to Collaborative Learning: Actively participated in group discussions, feedback sessions, and collaborative performance-making, contributing to a collective understanding of the course material. 5. Explored Artistic and Cultural Innovation: Explored how traditional and contemporary art forms, including Neo-Daastangoi, can be used to engage with contemporary issues such as political resistance, social identity, and cultural preservation.

These objectives and outcomes ensure that students are not only engaged with the theory and history of storytelling but are also empowered to translate these insights into their own creative work, using Cairo as a living canvas for performance.