Playing the ‘Berber’: the performance of Amazigh identities in contemporary Morocco

Abstract

In the last decade, Amazigh arts, media and scholarship have flourished in Morocco, facilitated by a number of new measures such as the creation of the Institut Royal de la Culture Amazighe in 2003. Performance in particular is contributing to this renewal by disseminating an oral heritage in Amazigh dialects and using local myths and narratives. The development of an ‘Amazigh theatre’ has played a crucial role in restoring the prestige of indigenous dialects and more generally protecting Amazigh traditions from erosion and disappearance. However, because they introduce the notion of identity politics in the Moroccan public realm, Amazigh cultural productions are inherently contentious, threatening the Pan-Arab model promoted throughout North Africa since Independence to ensure national unity. This article aims to discuss the development of Amazigh theatre and its impact as an identity marker and a tool of contestation, in the wider context of post-Arab Spring North Africa.