The Rehearsal & The Playbook
The Rehearsal & The Playbook is an inquiry into the dynamics of new authoritarianism and populism. Conceived as a critical case study with transnational resonance, the project links situated analyses to broader global political trends through collective and process-oriented forms of knowledge production. Developed in collaboration with artists, cultural practitioners, scholars, and activists, and grounded in artistic research and practices of solidarity, it approaches authoritarianism not only as a political formation but also as a performative and affective structure — one that is enacted, mediated, and internalised.
-
The Rehearsal & The Playbook
-
How do we gaze into the abyss without being consumed?
-
Where does control rehearse before it spreads?
-
When power retweets paranoia, can we respond with doubt, uncertainty, and hesitation?
-
How do we overcome internalized authoritarian control and begin to imagine otherwise?
-
Can we break free from emotive economies and empower knowledge?
The Rehearsal | Collaborative Artistic Productions
Rehearsal, here, means preparing for repression—individually and collectively. Artists will use performative formats to rehearse responses to authoritarianism. Rooted in diverse contexts yet speaking globally, their time-based works — performances, lectures, videos, or publications — are presented at public events in Berlin and Istanbul in autumn 2025.
The Rehearsal | Webinar & Seminar Series: Viscera of Authoritarianism and Global Populism
Running from August to November 2025, this series of three intensive sessions brings together international scholars to explore contemporary forms of authoritarianism, populism, and practices of resistance.
The Playbook | Digital Publication
Published on STRÜKTÜR’s platform Reading Room, The Playbook will compile newly produced artistic works (in full or excerpted), transcripts from contributors, as well as new commissioned reflections from writers. Merging artistic and theoretical insights, it forms a living archive and shared resource for resisting authoritarian and populist strategies.
