UC San Diego

In this thesis I examine the multiplex correlations between art, activism, and identity using data collected from my Participatory Action Research in Art Collective, a group of socially conscious UCSD student-artists. I draw from my experiences dating from January of 2010 to the present. I begin by mapping out the student mobilizations that occurred between February 15th and March 4th of 2010 at UCSD in response to the UC budget crisis and the underrepresentation and under-servicing of black students on campus. This context provides a deeper understanding of the conflicts that Art Collective grappled with in our performances and activism. Next, I uncover some of the historical issues of racial and economic elitism that underscore UCSD's history and how this context informs the current power dynamics in the university's spaces. Using spatial and postcolonial theory, in addition to my personal reflections as a member of Art Collective, I assert that our public music making is a means through which we bodily reclaim institutional space and rearticulate our voices and identities on our own terms. Finally, after outlining some of our key performances, I situate Art Collective within a realm of processes: reflection, coalition building, and sharing subjectivities and experiences. These processes make the collective's performance style distinct, as it cultivates common bonds that strengthen community and foster personal growth. In essence, this thesis is a representation and an extension of my praxis as an artist-activist engaging in reflexive community work