Theater art of the Western Muslim communities of the end of the XX – beginning of the XXI century

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the theatrical art of Western Muslim communities of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. on the example of Great Britain. Research methodology. The method of analysis and synthesis, the method of typological analysis, the historical and cultural method, the method of art research and theoretical generalisation was applied, which contributed to clarifying the peculiarities of the traditions of Islamic theatre and its development at the modern stage in Western Muslim communities, identifying the peculiarities and characteristic features of the theatres of the Muslim community of Great Britain . Scientific novelty. Peculiarities of theatrical art of Western Muslim communities were studied using the example of Great Britain; on the basis of the analysis of the productions of the "Khayaal Theatre" theatrical campaign, the peculiarities of the understanding of the place, role, and potential of theatrical art by representatives of modern Muslim communities in Europe were considered; the activity of the theatre of the multi-national Islamic school with education in English "SOBIS" (Cardiff) was analysed in the context of preserving the traditions of the Islamic theatre. Conclusions. The rich culture and spiritual experience of the Islamic world, represented in the productions of Western Muslim communities, exerts a noticeable influence on modern European society. The study revealed that the development of theatrical art in Western Muslim communities in the late 20th and early 21st centuries testifies to the selective integration of the leading trends of European performing arts, the attraction to multiculturalism, provided that traditional cultural and religious Islamic values are preserved. The originality of the scenographic solution, which has a direct connection with Islamic history, its visual and architectural heritage, expresses the ideas and values of Muslims. The main Muslim theatre companies in the UK are Khayaal Theatre, Ulfa Arts, Arakan Creative, Muju and others. Interactive forms of theatre, in particular forum-theatre, can become a powerful way of interacting and informing about the issues of British Muslim identity. Characteristic features of the activities of the theatres of the Muslim community of Great Britain are: honouring and popularising the philosophical-aesthetic, literary and artistic Islamic traditions; development of a diverse repertoire in order to reach a wide audience; promotion of intercultural dialogue, interaction of traditional and modern, mutual understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths and traditions.