Paper long abstract:

Cultural practices and performances have served as a reference for pan-Africanist movements and had important representative and integrative functions in the process of post-colonial nation building on the African continent. Since the beginning of the 21st century a new trend can be discerned. Performative practices are 'discovered' by European cultural institutions and development agencies as a resource for development in Africa. More and more contemporary African performers secure their livelihoods by engaging in internationally financed projects using art as a means to deal with basic problems of transformation in African societies. This opens up new possibilities for performing arts in the context of emerging transnational social spaces and public spheres.

The paper presents the outline of an empirical research project focusing on the construction of performative arts as a development potential at the interface between African professional performers and European development and cultural agencies.