City Talks Amsterdam: Debunking the gaze

The male gaze - a term first coined by film critic Laura Mulvey in the 1970s - is a feminist theory that states that narratives and portrayals of women are constructed in an objectifying and limiting manner to satisfy the psychological desires of cis-gender heterosexual men, and more broadly, of patriarchal society. While Mulvey used the term to highlight this phenomenon in visual culture, particularly in cinema, the male gaze influences nearly every aspect of our society: we still witness its effects in media, education, public space, and the workplace. This episode of CityTalks we are going to debunk our (inner male) gaze, come join our speakers in deconstructing gender-based power dynamics, creating equal worlds, and making space for plural identities and possibilities!

-|-This edition of City Talks, we welcome the following guests: Maxi Meissner, PR- and communication specialist in arts & culture and curator of erotica. Marianne Bruijn, brand strategist at Rabobank and founder of The Female Fix, which focuses on creating more gender equality. Laurens de Vos, author of the book Dramatic Women: A History Along Iconic Theatre Characters. With a performance by Peppermetz, who’s exploring the boundaries of masculinity and femininity and taking it beyond the binary. The evening will be presented by Geoffrey van der Ven, spoken word artist, theatre producer and host.

This edition of City Talks is part of ITA’s theatre festival Brandhaarden, taking place from February 22 - March 4. This year’s theme is Female Voices, presenting six performances made by female makers that question the Western canon and the stereotyping of women in theatre. City Talks is powered by Rabobank Metropoolregio Amsterdam. A beverage will be included with your (free) ticket, provided courtesy of Grolsch.