Before solidarity: the process politics of relationality, receptivity, and attunement

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article critically considers the notion of solidarity in times of division, marked by a neoliberal competitive environment alongside rising neo-nationalisms and identity politics. Concerned with a politics of equality, it asks what forms of solidarity might support a social justice agenda. Rather than considering where solidarity has already manifest, the enquiry pursues a processual approach in exploring what might come before solidarity and may lead to its emergence. It critically considers the ethics and politics of relationality in socio-political and philosophical terms, examining the ways in which relating per se can create concrete alternatives to individualism, further exploring the notions of receptivity and attunement. In thinking with and through the practice of British performance artist Jamal Harewood who creates audience-led performances, the article further considers the ways in which performance practice can contribute to the creation of more equitable futures.