Miguel Rubio: Decolonizing Theatre With Andean Traditions and Yuyachkani

How can truth of the past be uncovered if trauma is the only memory we have? When can healing begin if political injustice continues to be a daily reality? Yuyachkani, a world renowned theatre collective founded in Lima, Perú in 1971 set up to interrogate such serious questions with their unique theatrical works.

Yuyachkani means “I am thinking, I am remembering” in Quechua, a major indigenous language in Peru. Indigenous communities in the Andes have endured historical trauma through colonialism, terrorism, economic and societal injustice for many centuries. Miguel Rubio, along with other founding members of Yuyachkani, used theatre as a site for negotiation, investigation, critiquing, reflecting, and educating. Representing the multilingual, multiethnic, and multicultural Peruvian society, Yuyachkani is committed to exploring embodied social memory, particularly memories related to ethnicity and violence in Peru as well as fighting for human rights and social justice. Yuyachkani won Peru's National Human Rights Award in 2000.

Miguel Rubio, a renowned director and playwright, is a founding member of Yuyachkani. His presentation explores the decolonizing power of theater, such as offering a space for indigenous voice and cultures and establishing a dynamic dialogue with Andean ancestral wisdoms and forms of celebrations. He is the recipient of the prestigious National Culture Award in 2019. He is the author of El cuerpo ausente (2006), Raíces y semillas: maestros y caminos del teatro en América Latina (2011) and Sin título, técnica mixta (2024) among others. Miguel Rubio will also present his new book Sin título, técnica mixta (2024).

To learn more about Yuyachkani, please visit https://yuyachkani.org/

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