The tow day workshop (25-26 June, 2026) at ZZF Potsdam examined how popular music and comedy have (re-)shaped imagined communities in East-Central and Eastern Europe since the late socialist period.
During and after the breakdown of state socialism, the political and economic liberalisation enabled the revival and commercial expansion of previously marginalised cultural genres. Particularly popular music and comedy formats fostered experimentation, cross-border exchange and the emergence of new genres such as Disco Polo, Turbo-Folk and stand-up comedy. Since the 2010s, however, a re-centralisation of state power occurred. Populist measures gained ground in cultural politics and ideological pressures transformed the cultural landscape once again.
At our workshop we discussed how this change in the political landscape affected the stage performances of popular comedians and musicians. By foregrounding the performative and affective dimensions of popular music and comedy, the workshop examined how they contribute to identity formation, political mobilisation, resistance, but also to the mainstreaming of illiberal imaginaries, especially in the context of authoritarian tendencies and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Zur Veranstaltungsankündigung und dem Programm des Workshops (for the event announcement and the workshop programme) klicken Sie hier.
Fotos: Marion Schlöttke / Katja Herzberg
