Browse Exhibits (2 total)

In the 1970s and 80s, students at Carleton College participated in a global activist push against Apartheid, the racist system of governance in South Africa that systematically oppressed the country’s majority Black population. At Carleton, as with many other colleges and universities, this activism manifested in calls for institutional divestment from companies with economic ties to the Apartheid government. Student demands were met with resistance from school officials and administrative bodies. Still, calls for divestment continued as new student activists cycled through their four years at Carlerton, sometimes yielding incremental concessions.

This exhibit showcases the various tactics employed by these student protesters during the years-long push for divestment at Carleton. Each page exemplifies different modes of student activism from throughout the history of anti-Apartheid activism at Carleton. 

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For my exhibit, I wanted to take you on a journey through the history of Little Nourse Theater, the student-led theater of Carleton College. The Little Nourse Theater was built as an extension to Nourse Dormitory in 1932 and has a reputation for structural issues as well as a deep sentimentality to students throughout the decades. This exhibit will not only span the entirety of the theater's lifespan but also specifically highlight moments of student resilience and perseverance in the face of hardships while working in theater. In viewing this exhibit, I would go in chronological order, starting with the Carletonian Article from 1932 and ending with the Antigone comparison.

Student-led theater is an area I am quite passionate about. I only recently became an active member of Carleton's Experimental Theater, or ETB, but the time I have spent there has been awe-inspiring and eye-opening, as I have witnessed the sheer determination and perseverance it takes to run a student-led theater board. There are limitations in budget, set, and actors, and still, revolutionary works are created in as small and restricted a space as Little Nourse Theater.

Although student-led theater is deemed as less professional, the drive and passion is unlike anything I have seen in professional Carleton shows. When something is entirely student-run, there is a pride and ownership from the students that is not always apparent in shows produced by the College. Theater is a beautiful paradox of an entirely fanciful world rooted in sincerity. It allows outlets for communities that have traditionally been ostracized to find a place of refuge and solace. Under the guise of art, protests and acts of transgression are made possible.

After spending countless hours in Little Nourse this term, I share a similar sentiment to the theater as my predecessors. This history and love for the theater are rich and cover every wall, literally and figuratively. Through this exhibit, I hope you also develop a fondness for this little theater and appreciate the perseverance of theater students past and present.