Raja Benz

My research and professional practice as an artist, pedagogue, and culture worker explore the intersections of performance, consent, and media through a critical, qtpoc lens. I center consent-based practices that examine intimacy coordination, boundaries, and power dynamics within performance and educational environments, tracking how these elements are shaped by shifting cultural and economic forces, particularly in a post-#MeToo context. I am especially interested in queer and trans representation in media, including staged performances, reality television, the early internet, and post-9/11 American culture, considering how these platforms contribute to queered narratives and subcultures. My background in dramaturgy, acting, and movement pedagogy informs my practice-based research, which advocates for comprehensive, sex-positive media and non-traditional representations of intimacy. Integrating multimedia and applied theatre methods, I work to push the boundaries of traditional performance studies, creating new frameworks to understand embodiment, consent, and queerness in contemporary media and live art. Through this work, I seek to address the shifting dynamics of consent and capitalism, using art as a space for critical reflection and social engagement.