The Rukapillan volcano rising over the Mallolafken Lake. Photograph taken by the author.As we near the end of this series of blog posts about the latest issue of the Fourth World Journal, we are excited to present the article “Aillaquillen: The Island of Nine Moons” by Peter Petkovsek.
In his piece, Peter Petkovsek narrates the process of co-creating a community theatre show with his co-creator Alejandra Aillapan Huiriqueo entitled “Aillaquillen: The Island of Nine Moons.” The show, presented at the Liquen Cultural Centre in the town of Villarrica, Chile, reinterprets a local Mapuche indigenous epew, or story with a lesson. The performance (and Petkovsek’s accompanying descriptions) focuses on themes of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude in relation to the natural world.
One of the strong points of this piece is Petkovsek’s creativity and storytelling abilities, which he exercises from multiple angles (the narrative of the play, the process of its conception, and the present account). By weaving together these common threads, he paints a cohesive portrait of Mapuche environmental kinship, foregrounding the teachings of his creative partner, Alejandra, and the Mapuche cultural tradition.
Listen to Petkovsek speak on the power of intercultural storytelling in his video abstract:
Cosmovision and Animism in Performance
Abstract
This essay examines the narrative of the co-created community theatre show Aillaquillen: The Island of Nine Moons, presented at the Liquen Cultural Centre in the town of Villarrica, Chile, in 2022. The show was the result of a practice research project, in which I partnered with local Mapuche activist Alejandra Aillapan Huiriqueo to explore how the intrinsic values of the Mapuche worldview or cosmovision and (new) animism could be translated into intercultural theatrical practice and the performance of an environmental narrative. The intercultural process of co-creation transformed my own approach to my surroundings and culminated in a performance that told a story out of local cultural and environmental necessity.
About the author:
Peter Petkovsek is a PhD candidate at the University of Leeds. His practice research focuses on intercultural storytelling and co-creation as a contributor to value-based climate change mitigation. Peter also holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University in New York and divides his directing work between professional stages around the world and environmental applied theatre productions wherever there are stories that need to be told.
Get full access to this article and the latest issue of the Fourth World Journal.
The library is dedicated to the memory of Secwepemc Chief George Manuel (1921-1989), to the nations of the Fourth World and to the elders and generations to come.
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