Ecology and feminism in performance composting histories 1962-2020

From land art to postdramatic theatre, feminist performance has consistently challenged the anti-ecological ideologies that underpin Western modernity. Charting a course from the 1960s, when artists first began to intertwine ecological concerns with feminist critique, to the environmental crises of our present moment, this study proposes 'composting' as a new method for navigating this complex history. This approach conceives of feminist history not as a linear progression of waves, but as a regenerative process where past ideas are broken down to nourish present-day practices. Sifting through the foundational performances of artists like Judy Chicago, Ana Mendieta, Rachel Rosenthal and Carolee Schneemann, the study analyses how this rich material provides the fertile ground for contemporary practitioners. It traces how these early experiments with embodiment, more-than-human kinship, and the ideological linkage of woman and nature are, for example, reconfigured in the decolonial politics of Rebecca Belmore, give rise to the queer ecologies of Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, and are metabolised in the trans performances of Tosh Basco (boychild). By placing ecofeminism in dialogue with feminist new materialism, queer ecology, and transecological thought, this study demonstrates how performance has been a site for imagining more just and sustainable futures.