coperformers

Coperformers are participants who contribute to both the creation and presentation of a performance through a collaborative, non-hierarchical process. The term is used in contemporary performance studies and arts practice to signal distributed authorship and shared agency, contrasting with models centered on a single director or star performer.

The concept emerges from devised theatre, ensemble-based dance, and collaborative performance art, where material is co-created through collective rehearsal, improvisation, and ongoing negotiation of ideas rather than a fixed script. It is commonly associated with artist collectives, ensembles, and interdisciplinary performance spaces.

Coperformers share in authorship and responsibility for content, interpretation, and presentation. Roles tend to be fluid, decisions are made through collaborative processes (sometimes with formal consensus or rotating leadership), and the emphasis is on process, relational dynamics, and the capacity to respond to audiences and surroundings.

Rehearsal practices often resemble open laboratories with documenting processes; scripts may be flexible or improvised; credit and funding arrangements emphasize collective rather than individual achievement. Benefits include innovative outcomes, inclusivity, and resilience; challenges include governance, conflict resolution, and equitable attribution of credit.

In scholarship, coperformers are discussed alongside conceptions of ensemble theatre, devised work, and participatory art, highlighting how collaborative frameworks reshape authorship, performance ethics, and audience engagement.