ABSTRACT
The chapter analyzes the making of the No Border Musical, from the perspective of a politics of representation. Initiated by activists in the local migrant rights movement in Malmö, Sweden, the No Border Musical was performed between 2011 and 2013. The ensemble comprised people linked to the migrant rights movement, and about half of the participants resided as undocumented. Methodologically, the chapter is situated at the crossroads of academia, activism and art, as the author participated in the musical both as a researcher and non-professional actor with a background in migrant rights activism. The analysis shows that one aspect of the making of representations, of being made visible as undocumented on stage, was continuously addressed in the performances, while discussions on the issue of perceptions of the actors’ bodily appearance in terms of gender, race and/or nationality were to a large extent absent. This is analyzed as being connected to challenges of representation in the migrant rights movement at the time. The methodological point of entry gave insight into the complexities and difficulties of activism through theatre, and the analysis is of relevance for both academic and activist audiences.
