Negative Path and Vulnerability in Applied Theatre

This article, inspired by applied theatre work in an institutional framework, identifies two aspects of the via negativa in Gilles Deleuze’s vocabulary – intensity and immanence – and links them to the work of Valère Novarina. It argues that the via negativa is essentially synthetic and capable of bridging the gap between art and life, and that this makes it an apt philosophical foundation for applied theatre. This hypothesis is illustrated by a traditional story from northern Scotland.